The Doctor and The Flower
by Earthiana2
Summary: (Being Rewritten. The new one is called The Sister Planets, check it out if you would like!)
1. Army of Ghosts: Arrival

**A/N Hello everyone! Earthian here! **

**This is my first fanfiction in a very long time so I hope you guys enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it. **

**This is a oc centered fanfiction with my own character placed into the story, because of another person being there. There will be some things that do change because of her presence. I hope the chapter below is clear enough, and the characters are accurately represented, I will always do my best to portray them in the way they are on the show. **

**I appreciate constructive criticism, but please no flames, I understand that my oc can be a difficult person to like at first, so I won't get offended if you don't. I mean...I like her, (but I mean, I'm like...bias). I will answer questions about her, she is a original character of mine and all her story and it's contents belong to me...which of course is a great way to hop into what I _don't _own. **

**DECLAIMER: I do not own Doctor Who, or any properties associated with it, it belongs to BBC, and all I want to do here is to provide something that others can enjoy.**

There had been an explosion. Bright and furious, her face had felt like it would melt off, the pounding of her heard and smell of burning flesh had filled her with panic. Panic which she had not felt to that degree in a while.

It had been a simple experiment, a routine one she did all the time, make more shots, make more shots to live. That had been her motto...one mission for so long she couldn't remember the last time she hadn't been making those shots. Foul as they were when they went in, she needed them to survive.

If she had noticed the beaker's contents getting a little too high...a little too bubbly, then perhaps she could've stopped it before her whole lab went up in flames before her.

The smoke hadn't been what made her pass out, it was the off electrical current that had slung itself at her from one of her long abandoned devices stored in the corners. One she was sure had been off. Almost positive in fact.

Almost, apparently, had not been enough it seemed.

Her head was throbbing when she woke, pounding, banging. Her body ached like she had been in a bad fight with one of her oh so charming neighbors.

Again.

To be fair to her lab and experiments, she had been...bringing in things she really shouldn't have been messing with. Really shouldn't have touched, looked at, or even thought about, but she couldn't help herself, which had been a really bad trait throughout her life. Often earning her many black eyes and split lips.

Though, regardless of what she had been bringing into her lab, regardless of it blowing up in her face, and regardless of her bad traits.

This was not at all how she expected her day to go.

First of all, she was laying on grass, which was odd unto itself, for many reasons, one of which her lab being in the middle of a concrete jungle. Another would be the odd sensation of the grass beneath her, the most she had ever felt of the substance was the dead and dried grass that had often grown through the cracks of the concrete. She found she had a bit of an affinity for that grass, so determined, so rebellious.

But this much grass...this was ridiculous. This grass...so spoiled, it didn't have to fight for anything.

These thoughts only made her pause and gaze around with a sigh, she really was going delirious, thinking about how the non-existent class system of grass.

She sat up and rubbed her forehead with a breath, maybe the explosion had knocked out a bit more of her senses then she had first presumed. Getting to her feet was a slight effort with how her body ached, and with the ever present weight on her back, it did nothing to help her in any way.

Granted they never did anyways.

Taking a deeper breath she found she was far too annoyed with her own musings to allow them to continue. Not that they could anyways, with the sudden disturbance before her.

She had seemingly...appeared in what looked to be a rather residential area, none of course that she was familiar with. In fact the sight was so jarring she had to adjust her glasses and check her pulse to make sure she wasn't dead.

It looked...peaceful.

She rubbed her eyes before recalling it didn't really matter if her eyes were functioning properly. They weren't, they hadn't for about five years now.

A slow growl escaped her at the reminder.

Only for it to be cut off at the sudden appearance of something before her.

She jumped back, the useless things on her back flaring out in response to her panic, she panted and her eyes flickered briefly to her hands, not totally surprised at the gun that sat in them. She usually never remembered pulling it out, just knew it was always there in her hands when she felt threatened.

It was both reassuring and frightening at the same time.

Her eyes flickered up to the present danger before her, this...thing, a grey blur really, a grey, black blur that stood before her, practically motionless, except for the occasional turn of it's head, something she tensed at every time.

However, as she soon realized it was not going to do anything she couldn't counter, she slowly lowered her weapon and gazed at it squinting.

"Oi...what the &*^% are you?" she frowned further when nothing came up around the figure, just a bunch of question marks and weird glitching lines. "Well, your a useless piece of &*$%#" she grumbled before taking a breath and cautiously circling it. Her head still throbbed painfully, which did nothing to improve her mood. She looked around at the ground and picked up a stick before putting one step forward, but not having fully committed by bringing the other foot along.

She lightly prodded the fussy figure before her, only to sometimes find herself encountering a hard metal, and other times feeling like she was pushing her stick through wet concrete. When she pulled it back finally she gazed at the stick to see if there was any residue left on it. But there was nothing. Nothing she could see given her present conditions, if she had her goggles on her then she probably wouldn't have a problem finding something wrong with the stick.

She looked up, only to find nothing, she spun around on her heel looking around wide eyed. Where had it gone?

Frowning best she could, she took a deep breath and grumbled under her breath. She didn't like the knowledge that she probably would have to go into this residential area within the city if she wanted answers.

Kicking the ground with a grumble and growl under her breath she trudged toward the city.

~A~

She hated how many people were out, she hated how many people stared, she had gotten so bothered by it she had turned and snarled at a young couple, the useless and obvious things flaring out on her back, which of course didn't help anything. They had run off, no surprise to anyone.

Ugh, she hated people.

Of course, the whispers followed the stares, some people even whispered 'it's the angel of death! Like in those stories 'member?!' But the hushed 'demon' always followed her.

One thing it did provide her with, was accents, she very clearly knew that she was nowhere near where she lived.

She had never heard of this accent before.

Plus, this place...was so weird, so...different, there were so many bright colored things...colors. The sky...was blue. Yes, people looked frightened, but they didn't glare at her with hate. She fidgeted a few times, normally she wanted fear, she wanted hesitancy, but just...sometimes it got to her.

But, never one to tiptoe around people and their issues and feelings, she approached a man who hadn't turned around and seen her yet. She grabbed his shoulder and turned him around from reading his newspaper, he jerked away and turned to likely tell her off, only to freeze at her appearance, she narrowed her eyes, not surprised, but annoyed nonetheless.

"What the &%#&* is going on? What the heck is that freaky black and grey splotchy thing?" she demanded roughly, he sputtered unable to answer her, and she was about ready to strangle him in frustration. Her head was pounding, and as usual, people were being useless, and stupid.

Her hands twitched and lifted to do just that when…

"When's the next shift?"

The voice attracted her attention and she turned and blinked at the sight, this gave the man the chance to run off wiping the sweat from his brow.

The man who had spoken looked in some ways familiar, and in other ways not. He was tall and thin, dressed in a brown pinstripe suit, hair spiky and all out of sorts, but she couldn't really be one to judge, not really ever being one to put effort into her own hair.

The man however was...odd, something about him struck her with a familiar sort of presence, one she hadn't felt in a long time.

He placed down three metal cones that were linked by thin wires onto the grass, it was then she noticed the playground around the area. Huh. Children, hooray.

"Quarter to. But don't go causing trouble." a blonde older woman spoke, she paused and gazed at the cones on the ground. "What's that lot do?"

She had been wondering much the same, whoever he was, he seemed to know what he was doing.

Which meant he was useful, and could possibly help her figure out what happened to her, and if he didn't do it willingly...well, she had other methods of persuasion…

"Triangulates their point of origin." The man supplied pulling her from the darker thoughts that had crossed through her mind.

"I don't suppose it's the Gelth?" A younger blonde girl questioned him. Yeah, he was definitely the one in charge of this little trio.

"Nah. They were just coming through one little rift. This lot are transposing themselves over the whole planet. Like tracing paper." He supplied simply, still working on the triangulator.

And if she hadn't been interested before...she definitely was now.

She moved closer, leaning on a building wall and watching them arms crossed.

"You're always doing this. Reducing it to science. Why can't it be real? Just think of it, though. All the people we've lost. Our families coming back home. Don't you think it's beautiful?" The woman pleaded her perspective, and she couldn't help but frown a bit at that. So...the things had something to do with dead people...but not really?

"I think it's horrific. Rose, give us a hand." With that conversation ending statement the three of them walked away from the cones, she leaned forward and watched as they entered a large blue box with the words police box written on the top rim, and among other things, but that was the only thing that attracted her attention. She frowned at that. Cops.

She hated law enforcement.

Sighing she made her way over to the cones curiously gazing at them, this was a bit beyond the technology here, she could tell by the cell phones these people used. Old. Wherever this place was, it was clearly not at the technological level her city was on.

But this, this was different, she reached out a hand and lightly stroked the cones, not disillusioned to the fact that she couldn't feel anything through her metal gloves...well, more like gauntlets on her forearms and hands.

It was more of the symbolism of touching the object.

She wished she had any of her examination tools with her, seeing how her glasses were failing at one of their very important jobs. Any one of her tools would've been useful, but she was in her slightly less encumbered attire when she worked.

It felt like a rather awful decision in retrospect.

"Hey! Hey, no, no, no, don't touch that." She was pulled from her internal scolding by that man's voice, she tensed automatically but stood slowly as if bored.

"I'm going to warn you, I often do things that I'm told not to do." He came around the cones giving her enough time to move away before he came to the spot where she had been. She frowned as he examined it like her touch had contaminated it or something. "I don't have acid on my fingers or anything." she grumbled as he stood up to face her, she did not like the fact that she had to look up a bit at him. She wasn't short...but he was tall. Usually she could intimidate with her height, but here she was at a disadvantage. She frowned and flexed her hands before clenching them into fists and stepping back, getting to a comfortable distance between them. The useless things folded up tightly against her back.

He looked at her frowning as he finally seemed to take in her appearance and not the fact that she touched his precious cones. "Are you supposed to be at a con or something?"

At that her brow furrowed, of all the things that people had said to her, that was a first.

"What? Why would you say that?" She questioned with a deep frown, he frowned in return and motioned to his lower face.

"Ya know...with the whole...mask thingy..." at that she frowned further...the mask is what he was fussing over? Really?

Though, if she thought about it, she had gotten good at hiding them, so if he didn't look over her shoulder, then she should be fine.

Not that it mattered of course.

"What if I like to wear it huh?" She countered a bit aggressively, he raised his hands in a bit of surrender, before she crossed her arms, and before he could continue..."the thing ya trying to triangulate, it's the ghosts things yeah?" It hadn't taken long after entering the city and seeing all the newspapers to find out what everyone was calling them.

He nodded slowly staring at her brow furrowed, "yeah..." but then shook his head, "wait, wait, hold up, you don't seem..." he trailed off and shook his head again. "I thought they were all over the world?"

Her brow furrowed deeply, "and how the &*%#$ am I supposed to know that?" She countered with a frown. His brow furrowed again and he opened his mouth to ask her something else when a voice that she recognized belonging to that Rose girl shouted from the blue box.

"Doctor! What's the hold up!?" She turned and looked at the box with a frown as he seemed to snap out of whatever he had been about to say and turned to the cones.

"You'll want to step back." he warned as he turned the machine on, but she stayed put and peered over his shoulder to see what he was doing. Once they were on he turned and looked at the box. "What's the line doing?" he called as the device activated, she turned her attention from the box and to the cones. Making a mental note that his name apparently was 'Doctor'.

"It's all right. It's holding!" Called the girl, before the muffled voice of the older woman spoke to her, starting a conversation.

But she was only staring at the cones as she tried her best to piece together all that was happening. The Doctor seemed to have forgotten her presence and was fiddling with a controller he had.

Not even a few minutes later a grin split over his face, "here we go!" He cried making her jump slightly at his sudden shout. She watched as the cones began to do their purpose, triangulate the ghosts.

"The scanner's working. It says delta one six." she barely heard Rose's voice from the blue box, she didn't even have time or patience at the moment to wonder just how much space was in that small police box.

"Come on then, you beauty!" the Doctor called as there started to be a vague outline of the figure she had seen earlier.

Soon enough the outline filled out and there stood the 'ghost' trapped in the cones, She couldn't help but glance at the Doctor as he put on a odd paper type of glasses, one blue and the other red, she frowned as he messed with the controls, but the ghost attracted her attention as it started to writhe and squirm in the containment field created by the cones.

"Don't like that much, do you? Who are you? Where are you coming from? Whoa!" He cried lurching back as the ghost tried to break from the containment field, she lurched back too, not even noticing that her hand had landed on her gun that was strapped to her leg. She watched it with newfound unease. "That's more like it! Not so friendly now, are you?"

The joy of containing the ghost, and the unease of it's lashing out were soon irrelevant as it seemed to vanish before them. She stared at the spot where it had been keeping quiet as the Doctor gathered up the cones and ran for the blue, she frowned for only a moment watching him before taking a breath and following after him quietly, she almost didn't step inside, it was just a box, they would be out soon enough. But then she glanced inside, her eyes widened and before she knew what she was doing she had stepped inside the box staring at everything wide eyed, she had been sure of it's size.

What kind of box was this?

She was so enamored she didn't even notice as the doors shut behind her, and the three of them were too focused on hurrying to notice her presence.

"I said so! Those ghosts have been forced into existence from one specific point, and I can track down the source. Allons y!" the shout startled her out of her daze, she looked at them, watching as he threw a lever and danced around the round console in the center of the room. She then realized they probably wouldn't be happy with a stowaway, and she had just started scarring from her last fight, she really wasn't in the mood to get into another so soon,

Not that she wouldn't if needed of course.

She stepped back, stumbling slightly at the lurch that the box gave, from what? She couldn't possibly know, but she ducked under the railing having some trouble...because of the stupid things on her back. She gave a silent growl and grabbed the tailing and lowering herself down to the ground and mending into the shadows like she did best, she grasped the beam before her to stabilize herself.

"I like that. Allons y. I should say allons y more often. Allons y. Watch out, Rose Tyler. Allons y. And then, it would be really brilliant if I met someone called Alonso, because then I could say, allons y, Alonso, every time. You're staring at me." he stopped as he noticed Rose staring at him, she gave him a look.

"My mum's still on board."

At that she glanced up to a platform where the woman was sitting, but she could only see her calves and her shoes. A slight smirk made her eyes crinkle a bit.

"If we end up on Mars, I'm going to kill you." She remarked seriously, and a fuller and amused smirk lit her face, but only slightly visible by her eyes.

The Doctor seemed to do his best to be...okayish with her presence, he decidedly didn't want to respond to that and turned back to the console. Thankfully they arrived quickly.

"Oh well there goes the advantage of surprise. Still, cuts to the chase. Stay in here, look after Jackie." The Doctor spoke again with almost a bit of a pout as he watched them on what appeared to be a monitor of some sort, but the old school look to it all made her grimace as if almost in pain.

"I'm not looking after my mum." Rose remarked with a bit of a grumble to it at the prospect.

"Well, you brought her." He countered with a look.

"I was kidnapped!" The woman cried, and she couldn't help but frown. If she thought that this was what kidnapping was, then she was perhaps a bit daft.

"Doctor, they've got guns." Rose remarked with only a twinge of fear and hesitancy in her voice, as she gazed at the monitor that clearly showed what was going on outside.

"And I haven't. Which makes me the better person, don't you think? They can shoot me dead, but the moral high ground is mine." He remarked cheerily, while she could only marvel at how that was one of the stupidest things she had ever heard. What does morals do for you if you're dead?

She was pulled from her thoughts when she had to duck down more as they approached the doors, she further hid into the shadows, and for not the first or last time she was thankful for her all black attire. Only having to cover up the mouthpiece of her mask to prevent the glow from being seen. One of the many things she hated about this stupid thing.

The Doctor was the one to step out first, the two women staying back, that she couldn't help but internally grumble about, this odd position was very quickly testing the limits of her recovery from the explosion earlier.

"Oh! Oh, how marvellous. Oh, very good. Superb. Happy day." a woman's voice drifted through the wooden door, she sounded very cheery. Perhaps this man held a sort of legend status.

She could only assume that they had transported, how she hadn't a clue, but the machine had started up to life at the controls the Doctor punched, the central clear column that went through the middle of the console contained two smaller columns, one covering and going over the other, the middle column had gone up and down and the box had made all sorts of noises, the woman had mentioned Mars, somehow, this smaller on the outside box could transport from one place to another. In a short period of time it seemed.

The clapping pulled her from her thoughts, apparently he was rather welcomed here.

"Er, thanks. Nice to meet you. I'm the Doctor." he muttered awkwardly, she could hear it through the door, clearly he had not been expecting that. Not that she would've either with their previously mentioned display of arms.

"Oh, I should say. Hurray!" The woman cheered again and she couldn't help but sigh quietly, people were so rather annoying. The sooner she was back in her lab, the better.

" You, you've heard of me, then?" He questioned, she could hear the slight surprise and caution laced through his voice.

"Well of course we have. And I have to say, if it wasn't for you, none of us would be here. The Doctor and the Tardis." The woman supplied happily, which made her brow furrow, okay. This guy was obviously very important, and she assumed by Tardis the woman meant the box she was currently in. More applause resounded once again pulling her out of her musings.

"And you are?" The Doctor questioned, which in her opinion was smart, always figure out who the person before you is.

And their weaknesses, always find their weaknesses.

"Oh, plenty of time for that. But according to the records, you're not one for travelling alone. The Doctor and his companion. That's a pattern, isn't it, right? There's no point hiding anything. Not from us. So where is she?" The woman asked, only a tad too pushy. Companion, it was that Rose girl, obviously the Doctor hadn't expected her mother to come along.

"Yes. Sorry. Good point. She's just a bit shy, that's all." The Doctor explained, and he could almost hear the smile in his voice.

He reached back inside through the crack of the door and grabbed...not Rose but her mother. She couldn't help but smirk a bit, amused.

"Hmm. She's not the best I've ever had. Bit too blonde. Not too steady on her pins. A lot of that..." he rambles for a bit, most of it she couldn't understand before finishing. "And just last week, she stared into the heart of the Time Vortex and aged fifty seven years. But she'll do." She couldn't help but hold back a snort, alright, he was kinda funny.

"I'm forty." Rose's mom retorted offended.

"Deluded. Bless. I'll have to trade her in. Do you need anyone? She's very good at tea. Well, I say very good, I mean not bad. Well, I say not bad. Anyway, lead on. Allons y. But not too fast. Her ankle's going." He continued, not at all caring that he might have very well slapped the woman for how much he insulted her.

"I'll show you where my ankle's going." She heard Rose's mother muttered, their footsteps slowly quieted down as they walked away.

She would've let out a breath of relief, but there was still one problem.

Rose was there.

She watched the girl as she peered through the crack between the doors, the doctor had shut it, wisely. If this Doctor was so famous and legendary, she could only imagine that there was more to the box then being bigger on the inside and a transport ship.

The girl stayed by the doors, waiting, for what she wasn't sure, but so long as she was there, she couldn't get out.

She decided she would wait, wait till the girl left and then go and try and figure out how to get back herself, after all.

She had a city to run.

Letting out a silent breath she settled silently into a better position, and she would've been quiet, would've been good and quiet.

Had she not heard a soft hum and received an electric shock to the face, she spasmed, and let out the tiniest of yelps, she had always been more susceptible to electricity.

That and water...she hated water.

She stiffened after it escaped her, praying she wasn't heard.

She was wrong.

Rose turned and looked around with a frown, someone couldn't possibly be in there with her...could they? "Hello? Is somebody there?"

She had a few options here, she gazed up at Rose and went through them in her head, one, she could let Rose continue her wonderings before chalking it up to her imagination and nerves. She could expose herself and threaten Rose to let her go back home, or, she could expose herself and plead her case. That had never really been her go-to option, but the situation seemed like it called for it. She was in a very strange land, with very strange people, and she didn't know what to make of any of it. Perhaps trying to gain some allies would be a good thing…

Temporary allies of course.

She was not a people person, their assistance would be a means to an end.

That's why she stood up and hopped over the railing silently landing behind Rose as she looked around for what she had heard.

"Yes, but I prefer to be called Nightshade."


	2. Army of Ghosts: Nightmares

**A/N Welcome to chapter two! For anyone who has started reading, thank you! I really do appreciated and I hope you are enjoying yourselves! This one is on the shorter side, but this was what remained of the scenes that Nightshade is in, I will try to make the chapters longer as I go, but I do hope you guys like it! **

**DECLAIMER: I do not own Doctor Who or any of the properties associated with it, all properties belong to BBC. **

**I do however own Nightshade and the story that she comes with. **

Rose whipped around fast enough to get whiplash, of that Nightshade was almost sure, but the girl remained standing, no evidence that her neck hurt in any way.

"W...what...h...how..." the girl stammered staring at her wide eyed, Nightshade waited for her to gather her thoughts. "H...how did you get into the Tardis...?" she breathed.

"Quite easily actually, you guys are kind of oblivious to everything around you." She shrugged and leaned against the railing arms crossed before her.

Rose looked offended and was about to retort when the box lurched a bit. Wide eyed the companion ran to the door and opened it a crack, she was there for a moment. Nightshade's eyes on her, before she slipped back inside and went straight for the Doctor's coat, she was rifling through his pockets not noticing Nightshade approach.

"Psychic paper, psychic paper." she muttered as she scoured through the pockets near frantic.

"It's not often people ignore my presence, havefta say, feels a little weird." Nightshade muttered while watching the girl. Rose stiffened and stood up turning to her.

"Look, I don't know who you are or how you got in her, I just know that the Doctor is counting on me to help him, and I _won't_ fail him." The women stared at each other for a long moment.

"Alright, what do you need help with?" Nightshade questioned, breaking the silence first.

"How do I know you aren't a part of the organization outside that has the Doctor and my _mum?_" She gazed at the woman up and down, her appearance was in no way shape or form easing any concerns Rose had.

"You don't, what you do know, is the Doctor isn't here, there are some ghost things milling about, and you are by yourself. Well, you will be if you don't take my temporary offer."

Rose frowned, "temporary?"

"I don't keep options open for long, if you chose not to accept my offer then I have to figure out what else to do."

Rose was still frowning, "why did you come into the Tardis?"

"Well, that wasn't intentional, I was just going to wait outside, to ask what was going on and see if I can help, when I looked inside, and before I could help myself, I had already walked inside. Then the doors shut, and well. Here I am." She shrugged as Rose still watched her skeptically. "Regardless of what either of our intentions are here, there is still the fact that the Doctor needs your help and I need to get back home."

"Home? Where did you come from? America?"

But Nightshade shook her head, "I don't know what that is. I don't think...you know where I'm from. All I know is I got here through weird circumstances, and you guys seem to know all about that."

Rose watched her a long moment before taking a breath, "okay...but if you try anything, the Doctor is not one to be messed with, understood?"

Nightshade smirked under her mask, "loud and clear."

"Oh, and you'll also have to get rid of those." Rose nodded to the guns at her sides, "we don't do guns here."

At that Nightshade's brow furrowed deeply. "Well, I do, so shove off before I decide not to be so friendly."

The threat...wasn't that elaborate, no, she knew the Doctor would protect her, but...it was the _way_ the woman said it. The _tone_, it almost reminded Rose of the Doctor's Oncoming Storm moments. Dark, ominous, full of some kind of danger very few people actually understood. She was already starting to regret saying this woman could help. If she did something drastic, it could ruin the Doctor's chances of solving this. But to be honest, Rose didn't much think that she could get this woman to leave even if she tried.

But...if she pulled anything…one step in the wrong direction. Well, Rose was the _Doctor's_ companion, she had absorbed the Time Vortex and destroyed the emperor of the Daleks. She had seen, and experienced things this woman probably couldn't even _dream_ of. She took a breath feeling more confident in herself.

Yes, she was the Doctor's companion, now and forever, she could handle some trigger happy lady with anger issues.

Feeling more confident she gazed at the woman, who was in fact a inch or two taller than her, and taking a breath. "Well, if you do, then I won't be as friendly either." With that, she strode toward the Tardis doors with the psychic paper in hand and a spring in her step.

Yes, _she_ was the Doctor's companion.

Nightshade watched her go calmly before quietly following after, it didn't matter how their alliance worked, just so long as these people could get her back home, she could care less about how they wanted to do it. Or if they completely hated her guts.

_That_ was nothing unusual.

The two women exited the Tardis, Rose had peaked out of it first to see if anyone was nearby, before stepping out and grabbing a white lab coat. One that Nightshade thought was awfully convenient being there, especially when she took in their surroundings to find the Tardis had been in a brightly decorated mummy case.

There was only one white coat so she didn't even bother, but she trailed after Rose keeping the useless things out of view. There was no need to freak everyone out further, she wasn't exactly inconspicuous in an environment like this, and they would only make things worse.

They _always _did.

She quietly trailed after Rose trying to go unnoticed as they followed a scientist. Nightshade only looked up to see a sign before them. Torchwood Institute, Reception, Lever Room, Maintenance. Nightshade let her eyes flicker over the sign a few times. This Torchwood could be important in the future. Her attention was pulled to Rose as the door opened. She took note of the paper in leather binding in her hand before following in after the blonde.

When they entered, there was another man in there, he approached Rose and Nightshade darted to the side. Moving into the shadows, she slipped from view, just before the man looked over Rose's shoulder thinking there had been another person.

He shrugged it off and turned to Rose, "Can I help you?" But, just like everyone else, she was transfixed by the sphere that had been the object of much of his frustration as of late.

"I was just..." she trailed off unable to break her gaze from the sphere, or very well form a coherent sentence and thought.

"Try not to look." He supplied, "it does that to everyone. What do you want?"

Rose finally pulled her gaze away from the sphere and to the man, also noting the fact that he was only looking at her. She glanced around briefly before letting out a hard breath. That woman...that Nightshade woman must've run off.

Rose didn't like the feeling in her gut, the unease, she didn't know who this woman was, but she didn't feel good about her running off and on the loose somewhere that there is clearly danger.

"Excuse me?" The man pressed, growing miffed and suspicious of this woman's presence.

Rose whipped back to face him and cleared her throat with a smile. "Sorry. They sent me from personnel. They said some man had been taken prisoner. Some sort of Doctor? I'm just checking the lines of communication. Did they tell you anything?"

But the man remained unconvinced, "can I see your authorization?"

Perhaps this would've stressed someone else out, but Rose was prepared, she smiled and handed over the psychic paper. "Sure."

She faltered a bit when he spoke. "That's lucky. You see, everyone at Torchwood has at least a basic level of psychic training. This paper is blank, and you're a fake. Seal the room. Call security. Samuel, can you check the door locks? She just walked right in." He called his fellow lab partner. Rose turned to look at him, only to blink when the man turned around only to find Mickey! She couldn't help the relief that flooded her, _finally_ someone who could help her! He gave Rose a thumbs up which made her smile.

"Doing it now, sir." Mickey responded to the man.

The man nodded, confident in his partner before turning back to the woman, "well, if you'd like to take a seat." He motioned to the chair and she slowly took a seat.

Nightshade watched quietly from the shadows, well, she half watched, her eyes were mainly on the sphere that sat in the center of the room. It 'did it to everyone', but it was still extremely odd. She let out a soft breath and turned to the scene again, everyone was just waiting awkwardly. She sighed quietly, she should've gone off on her own.

The silence lasted only moments before there was a loud clunk sound, and a humming as though a machine was coming to life. Nightshade looked up at the ceiling where the sound came from. But her attention was brought back to the situation at hand when the man went to a laptop that sat on a table before them.

"Yvonne, I thought you said the next Ghost Shift was cancelled. What's going on? Yvonne?" He called and looked concerned with the lack of response. Only for all of them to turn to the sphere as a bang resounded from it. Nightshade's brow furrowed as she gazed at it fidgeting. Something about it made her...anxious.

It began to rumble and tremble. She swallowed feeling her hands go to the weapons at her side. She couldn't remember lowering her hands to them, but she knew she normally didn't anyways.

"It can't be. It's active!" The man cried, obvious distressed by this event. Maybe it had to do with the noise upstairs? She wasn't sure, but she didn't like the feelings she was getting.

She couldn't help but glance at the man as he was still facing the laptop, trying to get in contact with his superior. Likely the woman from earlier. "We've got a problem down here. Yvonne, can you hear me?" he called again, but it was useless, clearly this person was not hearing him, and he couldn't seem to get that. Nightshade turned and looked back at the sphere that continued to tremble and quake. "Yvonne, for God's sake. The sphere is active! The readings are going wild! It's got weight, it's got mass, an electromagnetic field. It exists!" The man tried again, and Nightshade frowned, it...had not existed before? How was _that_ possible?

Then their attention was pulled to the doors a thump and clunk resounding. Nightshade had a sickening feeling as to what that meant.

"The door's sealed. Automatic quarantine. We can't get out!" At that she felt a surge of panic rising within her, but it was fine, she was fine. It wasn't like before…

It _wasn't._

"It's all right, babe. We've beaten them before, we can beat them again. That's why I'm here. The fight goes on." Nightshade frowned, but was also pleased, it was a good distraction to the fact that they were _trapped_.

"The fight against what?" Rose asked and Nightshade paused and leaned forward as well, what _exactly_ was in that thing?

"What do you think?" The other man, who very clearly knew Rose responded.

The sphere shuddered and quaked, the trembles becoming more violent, but despite this, her gaze drifted to the door. The _locked_ door.

"We had them beaten, but then they escaped. The Cybermen just vanished. They found a way through to this world, but so did we." the other man continued, sounding confident, battle ready. _He_ seemed to be the only one who knew what was going on.

And 'a way to this world…', she felt like that was awful important.

"The Doctor said that was impossible." Rose countered, certain of it, certain of her faith in the Doctor. If he said it was impossible, then it _was_.

"Yeah, it's not the first time he's been wrong." The other man countered back slightly bitter about it. Nightshade could tell as much from his tone.

"What's inside that sphere?" Rose questioned, Nightshade knew it was a way to move away from the conversation that Rose didn't like.

"No one knows. Cyber Leader, Cyber King, Emperor of the Cybermen." He turned and nodded firmly at the sphere that shook very violently now. "Whatever it is, he's dead meat." Rose smiled at that, smiling at him.

"It's good to see you." she told him, he turned and smiled at her as well.

"Yeah. It's good to see you too."

Well, good for them, but that didn't change the fact that they were probably very likely in danger, and all Nightshade could feel was a pit growing in her stomach. _Fear_. She reasoned it was because they were locked in this room, but at the intensity of it, she couldn't help but...doubt that. This was...intense, she hardly ever felt this afraid, this...terrified.

She hadn't a clue as to why.

But she had a bad feeling it had something to do with that shaking sphere.

The first man, the one who clearly didn't know what was going on, was still trying to get in contact with those above. "Can anyone hear me? Come on, I need help down here! I need-" he was cut off by an assortment of noises that came from the sphere, it pulled all their attention to it. Nightshade couldn't help but take a shallow breath. The pounding in her chest, it almost hurt because of the speed. Her hand went to her chest, as she took deep breaths, deep and hard, so hard she was sure if it wasn't for the sphere making so much noise, they would've heard her.

The other man removed his lab coat and earpiece, he looked like he was getting ready, like he knew what was coming.

But the pit in her gut, the sweat on her brow, the shortness of her breaths, it told her one thing. One awful thing.

He had _no_ idea what was coming out of that sphere.

"Here we go." The other man said, preparing himself.

Her breath caught in her throat when the sphere started to crack open...to reveal a black hole. She was pressed against the wall, the useless things getting in the way. Like they _always_ did.

"I know what's in there, and I'm ready for them. I've got just the thing." The other man said confidently. He went over to the base of the sphere and pulled out a massive gun, that despite everything Nightshade couldn't help but eye interested. He grinned and readied the gun, pointing it right at the mouth of the opened sphere. "This is going to blast them to Hell."

The first man gaped at him wide eyed, Nightshade was right to assume that he had _no_ idea what was going on.

"Samuel, what are you doing?" he questioned in shock.

"The name's Mickey. Mickey Smith. Defending the Earth." He stated confidently, proudly as he cocked and loaded the weapon.

Nightshade nodded, calmer then she had been a few seconds ago, but granted, weapons always made her feel safer. It was nice, this man, so dedicated to defending…

But just what the heck was Earth?

The sphere started to disappear into a blaze of white light, Nightshade and the others had to recoil and shield their eyes from the onslaught of light. When their vision finally cleared they bore witness to what Nightshade was sure made the pounding in her chest stop for a moment. She let out a shaky breath. Their presence...installed...such fear within her.

She knew why she had been so afraid, why she had the pounding of drums within her chest, why there was a sheen of sweat and the useless things were trembling on her back. She knew _why_.

Nightmares.

And the forefront of quite a lot of them stood in front of her.

_Real._

She didn't even hear Rose and that Mickey guy speak, all she could see was her childhood nightmares playing before her on a loop.

**To be continued...**

**A/N I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter! I will try and make them longer in the future, but there may be some where it is cut a bit shorter. Have any questions about Nightshade? If you do, good! If you don't, then you've probably figured things out and for that, clever you! If you do however have questions, feel free to drop a review and I will do my best to answer without giving too much away. Anyways, have a nice day everyone! **

**Earthian.**


	3. Doomsday: Human?

**A/N: Welcome to Chapter three! Thank you for those who have started following this story! I really do appreciate everyone who does so, so thank you. :)**

**I can't promise I can post a chapter every day, but I will do my best to try! **

**I hope you guys enjoy this next chapter!**

**DECLAIMER: I do not own Doctor Who or any of the properties belonging to it. That belongs to BBC.**

**I do however own Nightshade and the story that belongs to her. **

Nightshade watched wide eyed as the metal..._things_ glided toward them, almost hovering on the ground, due to it being very hard to see the wheels beneath the behemoth of the can around what would be called it's lower half.

"Exterminate! Exterminate! Exterminate!" The four of them cried approaching the people before them.

"Daleks! You're called Daleks. I know your name. Think about it, how can I know that? A human who knows about the Daleks and the Time War. If you want to know how, then keep us alive. That's all I'm asking. Me and my friends." Rose called, standing there determined even though Nightshade could hear the fear in her voice, and see the tremble of her body.

This was more serious than before, she shouldn't be hiding. She slowly crept out of the shadows and over to the others. She was shaking...trembling even, and she didn't know how childhood nightmares could freak her out this much.

But they _did._

"Yeah, Daleks. Time War. Me too." Mickey nodded, playing along.

"Yeah. And me." Supplied the other man, seeing how it was at least working for the time being. Nightshade didn't say a word, could barely manage a nod.

"You will be necessary. Report. What is the status of the Genesis Ark?" The one who had just spoken was a black colored Dalek, Dalek...the name made her _mad_. Their presence made her afraid, but their _name_. She couldn't explain it, she couldn't explain the emotions in her, almost _cohesive_ within her. The black Dalek turned to his companions who despite him, matched in color.

With his question, she could finally pull herself out of her confusing feelings. She gazed at the contraption behind them.

"Status, hibernation." responded one of the other Daleks, the black Dalek bobbed it's eye-socket as if nodding.

"Commence awakening. The Genesis Ark must be protected above all else." Silence befell them as they started working on the machine before them. Nightshade couldn't pull her gaze away even when Mickey spoke.

"The Daleks. You said they were all dead." he told Rose, and just as he finished saying that, he noticed the person standing behind them. "Oi, who the &%$# are you?" he demanded, Nightshade blinked and opened her mouth to respond when Rose spoke, already having seen the woman out of the corner of her eye as she approached them.

"Never mind that. What the %$#&'s a Genesis Ark?"

Her question went unanswered as all of them couldn't help but stare at the dangerous beings before them.

Nightshade felt like she was suffocating on all the emotions she felt, confusion...terror...anger...pain…

If asked she could explain none of it, none of the emotions. They held no context in memory besides the fear from her childhood nightmares. She had only felt these feelings at this intensity once or twice before, and she never wanted to relive those moments.

"Which of you is least important?" the black Dalek whirled on them, his eye socket serving over all of them. Nightshade swallowed, even if she wasn't terribly familiar with this species besides in her dreams as a child.

She knew how war worked, battle, strategic moves.

One of them was going to die in the next few moments.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Rose countered with a frown, not liking where this was going.

"Which of you is least important?" The black Dalek repeated with a consistent tone.

"No, we don't work like that. None of us." Rose countered, knowing, _knowing_ how wrong that was, and how much the Doctor would be against it if he was here.

"Designate the least important!" the black Dalek shouted this time, clear frustration at the people before him.

"Depends on how you define important." Nightshade countered, speaking for the first time, cutting off the man who was about to speak. They wanted information. That or leverage, she wasn't completely sure yet. But, if they wanted information, she could give them barely anything. It was the safer option really, keeping the super important stuff to the people who actually belonged here.

Belonged to this world.

She had worked it out, bit by bit, from the accent oddity, to the strange technology and people here. She was very..._very_ far from home.

Nightshade wasn't supposed to be here, she had gathered as much, if they were going to kill someone. It might as well be her.

_She_ had nothing to go back to. Nothing but a burnt lab and endless lonely nights. _Nothing_ but the pathetic excuse of a life she had scraped together for herself. These people probably had families, people who cared about them.

She had often wondered what that was like.

No, she had never been able to explain it. Explain the gaping hole inside of her, that constant ache within her, there was a _hole_, something was meant to be there, something had carved into her, something had dug inside her, and settled there. But now that something was gone, and there that gaping hole remained, all her life, no explanation, no reason she could give. She shouldn't..._care. _So what if she was lonely? So what if she had nobody? Did that _really_ matter in the grand scheme of things? She shouldn't care that there was no one. But this was different. It's like...there _had_ been someone, someone even...but now they were gone, and all she got from it was a hole inside her that could never be filled. Never satisfied.

Her attention was pulled back to the Daleks when they looked at her, well, some did, the others were too focused on the ark to pay attention. There was silence for a moment as neither spoke.

"Identify yourself." The black Dalek demanded, she couldn't help but give a slight smirk.

"Nightshade, picked it myself." She felt exhausted, like being here, being around them was physically draining her.

But to be fair, she hadn't had any shots recently, and the time between their longevity within her system was beginning to rapidly shorten.

"Our scans are inconclusive." The Dalek to the black one's left spoke. Nightshade blinked, she hadn't even been _aware_ they had been scanning her.

She shook her head though, "well, it doesn't matter, you want information? I'll give you information. Want to know the least important here? You're looking at her you &%$#%$&%$ cyclops." she couldn't help the growl that ripped from her throat as she took a step closer, the anger overriding the fear...for now.

It especially spiked when someone grabbed her arm, she whipped on them, prepared to give a tongue lashing, only to find Rose, looking at her in both confusion, and...as slight as it could've been...concern?

"No! Nightshade you don't understand! They'll kill you!" She tried gazing up at the slightly taller woman, but Nightshade just frowned deeply.

"It's my fault anyways." The other man called out and Nightshade could feel her anger festering and burning inside her. What was _wrong_ with these people? They should leave! Run away! She was giving them a shot, she was being uncharacteristically nice! They should treasure that! It hardly ever happened!

"Shut up both of you." Nightshade hissed, both falling silent at the look in her eyes. "You need to figure out how to get out of here, now stop being ridiculous saps and get to work."

"We need to find out what that thing is first." Mickey mumbled, only a step away from the huddle.

Nightshade turned and hissed at him, "and what if by time you do, it will be too late?" She hated to admit it...but _some_ things just needed to be left be. Not touched, put away and kept safe.

Many of her own devices had to be put away for the safety of far too many people then she would prefer to say.

Rose opened her mouth to counter, likely something about the Doctor, but she never got the chance to speak her question.

"Internal communications will cease!" The black Dalek cried, more than a little annoyed at the conversation before him.

Nightshade turned to face him and took a breath, and turned to face them. She would die, she knew that, but honestly...she was ready...she had been ready since she could remember. The feeling...the hole never went away.

Once she was within reasonable speaking range, "you will kneel." The black Dalek commanded. Nightshade could feel the fires of the anger rising within her. _Kneel_. Not only was it demeaning, she could never find herself in the position to do that. She would _never _kneel.

"What the &$#% for?" She demanded angrily.

But the black Dalek was not one to entertain a human. "Kneel" was all he said, demanding it.

Nightshade however only growled. Practically baring her teeth behind her mask. "NO."

Rose fidgeted behind her, knowing thus wouldn't end well for the woman. "Nightshade..." she whispered, "just do what they say...okay?"

This woman was strange, stupid even. As it seemed she was arrogantly defying the Daleks, but Rose certainly didn't want her hurt.

"No." Nightshade snarled glaring at the Daleks, the pounding in her chest grew tenfold, she could hear the pounding in her ears. Throughout her body.

"The female will comply!" One of the other Daleks demanded, Nightshade felt herself shaking, but from anger or fear she didn't know.

"I said no!" She shouted, the useless things on her back flaring out. The people behind her went wide eyed, the Dalek's eye socket swerved to see both ends of the massive extra appendages.

Nightshade froze and felt herself stiffen up.

"Identify yourself!" The black Dalek demanded.

"*%$# no." She growled, only to freeze and her eyes flickered down to the gun in her hands pointed at the Daleks.

In her stupor she failed to notice the Dalek's laser raise up to shoot her.

"Defiance will not be tolerated!" The Dalek screamed raising his laser arm.

Only for the other man to step in front of her as Rose turned to her.

"What did I tell you about guns?!" She hissed.

The other man however raised his hands, "no! Look...its my fault okay? Just don't kill anyone."

Nightshade however transfixed. Gazing at her weapon, her mouth had gone dry.

The black Dalek eyed him, but made no move to tell his comrade to put the weapon down. "You will kneel." He stated simply. The man swallowed and slowly got to his knees putting his hands behind his back, but still in front of the reckless woman. "The Daleks need information about current Earth history." The black Dalek continued. Coming over to the man as Mickey slowly removed the gun from the very quiet and not completely there, woman.

Rose watched on, pulling Nightshade back, a sick feeling in her gut as she watched the Daleks approach the brave human.

"Yeah, well, I can give you a certain amount of intelligence but nothing that will compromise Homeland security." He muttered gazing up at them nervously.

"Speech is not necessary. We will extract brainwaves." Responded the black Dalek, and following his words, the black Dalek and two others shoved their plungers onto the man's head, 'extracting brainwaves'.

"Don't I...I'll tell you everything you need. No. No!" He cried out and then screamed as they only continued. Nightshade finally seemed to be back with them and watched face blank, her stomach churning into knots. Rose turned and hid her face in Mickey's chest, while Mickey held her, and watched on grimly.

**~A~**

Nightshade gazed on as the dry and dusty corpse of the man dropped to the ground. She felt...grateful he saved her life and even a bit sad he died because of it. Of sorts. But...she also hated that fact.

It had almost been over.

Everything...had _almost_ been over, and it made her mad that here she was...still breathing.

Nightshade finally looked away with a deep breath.

"His mind spoke of a second species invading Earth infected by the superstition of ghosts." The black Dalek finally spoke, breaking the very tense silence.

"You didn't need to kill him!" Rose shouted, shaking in anger for many reasons, and one of them was standing right next to her. The woman...the woman and her stupid pride almost got them all killed! She didn't know what she was doing...or who the Daleks were!

"Neither did we need him alive." Another Dalek stated simply, which only made everyone feel their stomach drop. They were all a hairpin away from being killed by the Daleks.

Rose hoped the woman wouldn't pull anymore stupid moves.

The black Dalek turned to his kin and his eyes socket landed on one specifically. "Dalek Thay, investigate outside."

"I obey." Was all Thay's response.

Nightshade couldn't help but notice that each Dalek had a different symbol near their eye socket. The differences were minimal but still there.

The black Dalek along with the others turned around to face the sphere and Nightshade couldn't help but follow their gaze, her chest still pounded and there was a sheen of sweat over her person but she watched carefully.

" Establish visual contact. Lower communications barrier." The black Dalek ordered, one of his underlines taking out his orders.

A large view screen appeared before them, showing what Nightshade could only presume what had been the ghosts. It was a corridor, where Dalek Thay sat before two 'ghosts.'

"Identify yourselves." Dalek Thay demanded.

"You will identify first." One of the 'ghosts' countered.

But Thay wasn't having any of it, "state your identity." he almost barked at the 'ghosts'.

"You will identify first." One of the 'ghosts' once again countered.

"Identify!" Thay yelled at him, obviously getting frustrated with this back and forth.

Nightshade found she shared that sentiment.

"It's like Stephen Hawkins meets the Speaking Clock." Mickey mused, _almost_ amused at the sight.

"That is illogical you will modify." the 'ghost' countered once more.

"Daleks do not take orders." Thay responded resolutely. Nightshade almost sighed...almost.

"You have identified as Daleks." The ghost stated, and if it hadn't been for the monotone voice and blank robotic face, Nightshade almost would've stated that it was smug.

"Outline resembles the inferior species known as Cybermen." The black Dalek spoke for the first time in a while making Nightshade jump ever so slightly.

"We followed in the wake of your sphere." The Cyberman continued, at that Nightshade frowned, wake of _their_ sphere...why did that feel wrong?

"Long range scans confirm the presence of crude cybernetic constructs on worldwide scale." The black Dalek continued talking himself, but Nightshade's attention was pulled to Rose as she pulled out a phone that Nightshade almost winced at.

She could almost _feel_ the age of technology in it.

It's not like she didn't appreciate how it paved the way for things nowadays...but the age of it...how _slow_, and redundant it was compared to what she had now.

Her worst nightmare would be to be trapped in the past. She _almost_ shuddered at the thought.

Rose answered her phone but didn't put it to her ear and speak, so not to draw attention.

Smart, Nightshade would admit that.

Her attention was pulled back to the Daleks quickly and she felt her body tensing once again. "We must protect the Genesis Ark." Said one of the remaining three in the room.

"Our species our similar, though your design is inelegant." The Cyberman spoke again, pulling their attention back to the screen.

"Daleks have no concept of elegance." Thay responded simply.

"This is obvious. But consider, our technologies are compatible." Nightshade tensed at the Cyberman's words. She may not know a lot about the things here, these alien creatures, and beasts from her nightmares, but she did know one thing. A alliance between two very egotistical people...or in this case, races…

That would _never_ happen.

"Cybermen plus Daleks." The Cyberman continued, he almost seemed willing to put aside the differences to form a cohesive team with a very obviously dangerous race. "Together we could upgrade the universe." he finished.

"You propose a alliance?" Thay questioned, almost sounding interested with that gravelly whining voice of his.

"This is correct." The Cyberman would've likely nodded if it hadn't been a robot. Nightshade closed her eyes, she had been through enough 'peace treaties' and 'potential alliance' meetings to know where this was going.

"Request denied." The Dalek finished, confirming Nightshade's suspicions. The Cybermen in the corridor readied their weapon in response.

"Hostile elements will be deleted." they shot at the Dalek, but their lasers did nothing to his shell, he however raised up his gun arm and pointed it at one.

"Exterminate!" He fired a single shot only for the Cyberman to vanish into dust, he turned and did it to the other as well.

Nightshade now knew who was actually the threat here.

After a moment Thay was heading back to the lab when a different looking Cyberman appeared on screen. He looked a lot more imposing and intimidating than the other had.

"Daleks, be warned. You have declared war upon the Cybermen." he announced gazing down at them, Nightshade would admit, he did feel intimidating...a tad.

This was like...turf war, something she was awful familiar with. They were warring species fighting over one place. One of them would win…

And she did not believe it would be the Cybermen.

"This is not war. This is pest control." Countered the black Dalek, Nightshade watched..._almost_ comforted by the familiarity of the situation.

At least not _everything_ was whacked out in this place.

She still didn't understand why that man just hadn't let her die, why had Rose and Mickey stopped her?

She didn't understand it, and it bothered her.

"We have five million Cybermen. How many are you?" The top Cyberman, as she assumed he was, spoke and brought her out of her thoughts.

"Four." Nightshade paused at the one word drop from the Dalek, some might've scoffed at the sheer insanity it was to think that four stood in any way a chance against five million…

But she for one knew just how dangerous for cornered creatures could be. Not even for anything with less to lose…

It was always ten times more dangerous.

"You would destroy the Cybermen with four Daleks?" the Cyberman countered, and if he hadn't been monotone, Nightshade knew she would've heard the scoff and amusement in his voice.

"We would destroy the Cybermen with one Dalek." That statement was dropped with a heavy amount of weight, it wasn't that he was being smug, cocky without justification.

He _truly_ believed that.

And Nightshade quickly found...so did she.

"You are superior in only one respect." The black Dalek admitted, and Nightshade glanced over at it, almost sensing the bait in his words.

"What is that?" The Cyberman questioned, as though curious, despite his monotone voice.

"You are better at dying. Raise communications barrier!"

**A/N: I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter! I've had fun writing it and settling Nightshade into the setting. I hope the situations around her are realistic, and if they aren't please let me know so I can improve. Thank you to everyone who read the chapter! **

**If anyone has any questions just drop a review and I will do my best to answer them. :)**

**Have a nice day everyone!**


	4. Doomsday: All The Questions in The World

**A/N Hello! Sorry about the late chapter everyone...I wanted to finish off Doomsday and it was going to _originally_ be in two chapters, but this chapter would've been...ten thousand words? And maybe later on I'll do longer ones, but for right now I don't want to set...expectations. Anyways, sorry about being late, but I do hope you guys enjoy the chapter!**

**DECLAIMER: I do not own Doctor who or any of it's properties, that belongs to BBC. **

**I do however own Nightshade and the story that comes with her.**

Nightshade was almost glad they hadn't noticed the Doctor behind the Cyberman, he was her only chance to get back home.

"Wait!" one of the other Daleks called out just as the screen went blank, but Nightshade found she was pretty sure her relief would be short lived. Especially when the screen turned on to reveal what had just happened moments before. They weren't getting the current feed.

"Rewind image by nine rells. Identify grid seven gamma frame. This male registers as an enemy." the image was rewound and they soon bore witness to the sight of the Doctor on screen.

"The female's heartbeat has increased." The black Dalek's eye socket was on Rose who stared at the screen.

"Yeah, tell me about it." Mickey muttered under his breath, Nightshade almost didn't hear him.

"Identify him." the black Dalek demanded of Rose, only for the girl to turn and smirk at him, almost beaming with pride, smugness, _cockiness_. That was something Nightshade frowned at.

"All right, then. If you really want to know, that's the Doctor." She stated with a bright and smug grin.

And _perhaps_ it was warranted, as the black Dalek rolled back, as though intimidated.

Rose smirked even more, feeling pride swell up in her. Yes, the Doctor, _her_ Doctor. "Five million Cybermen, easy. One Doctor? Now you're scared."

But the pride was short lived, as the very victorious and smug Thay returned to the room. "Cyber threat irrelevant. Concentrate on the Genesis Ark." he was very confident, and Nightshade didn't really feel like it was unwarranted.

But his statement made her look at said Ark. It was obviously linked to them, it's shape mimicked that of a Dalek, but something about it was terribly familiar. Like she knew it...like she knew it well.

"Why are we being kept alive?" Mickey finally questioned, Nightshade pulled her gaze from the ark and to him.

"The only reason they are is because they need something from us." Nightshade spoke, not realizing she cut Rose off, she nodded to the two of them. "More than likely you two."

"What? What is it?" Mickey questioned, genuinely not knowing what it could be, but Nightshade could only shrug.

"Speaking of what things are..." Rose continued gazing at her, skeptically. "_What_ are _you?_" Nightshade stiffened at the question as both their eyes drifted to her back, she jerked around sharply and her eyes narrowed.

"Look, if you're an alien, it's cool and all." Mickey offered and then motioned to the Daleks, "as you can see we aren't really fazed by that." He took a breath when her narrowed eyes landed on him, "hey look, we just want to know-"

"If you are going to be a threat as well." Rose cut him off, still gazing right at Nightshade, at that the woman in question ground her teeth, only to give a slight wince, regretting doing that.

Rose was not happy with her, she could tell that much. _Yes_, arguing with the Daleks _probably_ wasn't the smartest move on her part, but she couldn't help it...they...they made her so _angry_. Furious in fact.

She didn't even really have a good explanation as to why.

What was so frustrating was, she _knew_ herself, she _knew_ even when she was angry she could rationally deal with things in an orderly and scientific manner, _that's_ what made her dangerous. She was sure of it. But...for some reason when it came to the Daleks...she took one look at them and all she could feel...all she could hear...all she could think of was _rage._

All cohesive and logical thought went out the window. Rage and fear intermixed in a chaotic and dangerous mixture she couldn't explain.

So how was she supposed to explain it to them?

"I'm not a threat unless you make me one." Was all she said, and that probably didn't help her case.

"And _what_ would make you a threat?" Rose questioned eyeing her, Mickey glanced between them and decided to remain quiet.

Nightshade couldn't help instincts from taking over, she leaned in and gazed down at Rose using her height to her advantage. Her useless appendages spread out behind her in almost a ominous and threatening way.

"Threatening me." She growled lowly. That was something she couldn't _stand_.

Rose held her ground, Nightshade did note that vaguely impressed, but she did jump slightly, but she held her gaze, gazing up at her.

That's when Mickey decided to step in, "um...so the question from earlier wasn't really answered..." he trailed off gazing at her carefully.

"I'm _human_." She spat out angrily, she broke her gaze with Rose who smirked smugly, but Nightshade hardly cared about a stupid staring contest. "I'm as human as both of you." She looked between them, clenching her shaking fists.

"But...those aren't human..." Mickey trailed off gazing at her useless extra appendages.

Rose mumbled, "gives kinda a fallen angel look..."

"I'M HUMAN!" She shouted startling them both, luckily the Daleks were distracted by their Ark to pay attention.

Rose took a breath, "okay...okay you're human." her eyes drifted to the Ark once again.

Mickey however was staring at _them_, something that made her skin crawl, she snapped them back behind her and took harder breaths then before. They were _always_ stared at...she was _always_ demanded proof that she wasn't some monster or entity other than a human. Something from the pit of the planet. Something..._unnatural_.

It was so much worse...because...she wasn't even sure _she_ believed she was human.

"What about escaping? Do you have any ideas?" she asked, trying to change the subject, _trying_ to calm the feelings inside her. The feelings she had buried, a very long time ago.

Thankfully, Mickey seemed to take the hint.

"I could transport out of here, but it only carries one and I'm not leaving you." he turned to Rose, but then paused and looked at Nightshade. "Either of you." At that Nightshade could only blink, startled.

Mickey didn't know this...Nightshade, she was obviously someone with issues, and quite a temper on her. But he could see, she was acting awful big and awful scary, and he wasn't totally certain she was as bad as she claimed to be. He'd been around Rose enough to know that anger was often a mask to hide other...more vulnerable emotions. Nightshade didn't strike him as someone who liked to show how scared or hurt they were. It kind of reminded him of Jake when they first met, or not even that, but his doppleganger Ricky! Regardless, Mickey had experience with people who acted a lot tougher and a lot scarier then they were to hide the actual fear and hurt inside.

And of course...leaving her behind to these Daleks was terrible, even if she was actually as bad as she acted.

"You'd follow me anywhere. What did I do to you all those years ago?" Rose was smiling and she pulled his attention back to her. He sighed but gave a slight smile, it wasn't one of joy though.

"Guess I'm just stupid." he admitted, was it bad that he still loved Rose and hoped that she would love him back? Yes, he had grown a lot more confident then he had been...but still, sometimes...and especially now that she was here before him.

He missed her.

But he wasn't a fool, not anymore. He knew the Doctor came first, the Doctor always came first when it came to Rose. She would never choose him over the Doctor.

It was a fact he had come to accept a long time ago.

But...here, right now, right now he could pretend that he was as important to Rose as the Doctor was.

Especially when she smiled softly at him. "You're the bravest man I've ever met." For a moment he smiled, feeling pride swell in his chest, and then a second later he remembered and raised an eyebrow, still trying to keep a bit of that smile to hide his real feelings on the matter.

"What about the Doctor?" He asked, already knowing the answer, but it wasn't like it wasn't true. The Doctor was often _stupidly_ brave in his opinion.

"Oh, all right. Bravest human." At that he smiled still, before turning to look at the Daleks his smile falling.

"Well, I can't think of what the Daleks need with me. I'm nothing to them." He said with a breath,

"You could be. Whatever's inside that Ark is waking up, and I've seen this happen before." Rose said as she too turned to look at the Daleks and their Ark. She let out a breath recalling the first time she encountered the Daleks. "The first time I saw a Dalek, it was broken. It was dying. But I touched it. The moment I did that, I brought it back to life." She turned to them. "As the Doctor said, when you travel in time in the Tardis, you soak up all this background radiation. It's harmless. It's just there. But in the Time War, the Daleks evolved so they could use it as a power supply." She finished gazing at them, but Nightshade frowned, brow furrowed. Did she say...time travel?

"I love it when you talk technical." Mickey smiled at her, yeah...he still loved her…

"Wait...did you say time travel?" Nightshade couldn't help but ask, they both looked at her confused, before remembering that she was new.

"Oh yeah, the Tardis also travels in time." Rose supplied almost dismissively. Nightshade scowled a bit at that. She hated asking questions. She hated sounding stupid.

"Anyways if the Daleks have got something inside that thing, and it needs waking up." She continued gazing still at the Daleks and their Ark.

"They need you." Mickey breathed staring at the Ark as well.

"You've travelled in time. Either one of us would do." She nodded to herself and Mickey.

"But why would they build something they can't open themselves?" Mickey questioned confused as he gazed at the Ark.

"Because it isn't there's..." Nightshade mumbled gazing at the Ark, the pounding in her chest growing intense once more.

And Mickey had been the only one to hear, glancing at her curiously, before the Black Dalek acknowledged their presence once more.

"The technology is stolen. The Ark is not of Dalek design." that made them all turn and look at him. Nightshade didn't like how she knew that.

"Then who built it?" Rose questioned cautiously, not sure what the Dalek would do.

He turned and looked at them, "The Time Lords,m. This is all that survives of their Home World." At that information, she couldn't help but gaze at the Ark that sat before her. It was so familiar it _hurt_. But that didn't make sense...she wasn't even from this world!

"What's inside?" Rose asked, getting a bad feeling, it _had_ to be important if the Daleks cared about Time Lord technology enough to _not_ destroy it.

The Dalek then decided to no longer be helpful, as he turned and looked at the Ark. "The future."

**~A~**

After a while the Dalek's removed themselves from the Ark, they had attached their plunger sockets to the knobs on it. The people before them watched cautiously as they pulled away.

One of the Daleks turned to them, "Final stage of awakening." He announced, though Nightshade wasn't sure who he was announcing it to.

The black Dalek turned to them also, but was mostly facing Rose. "Your handprint will open the Ark." It sounded like a statement. But it was more of a demand, and they could all hear it.

Rose was having none of it, "well tough, because I'm not doing it." She was _not_ going to help the Daleks with _anything. _

"Obey or the male and female will die." The black Dalek countered and Rose paused, bravo faltering. She swallowed and looked at them, willing them...willing Mickey to understand. Yes...the fate, fate the world was at hand…but...

"I can't let them..." she told him, and swallowed turning back to the Daleks, but Mickey stepped forward.

"Rose, don't."

Nightshade gazed at the Daleks, "they are going to kill us either way, it doesn't matter what you do."

But Rose didn't want to listen. She had to stall…stall till the Doctor got there. He would fix things...he had beaten the Daleks before he would do it again, and as his companion, she needed to help him. She needed to do whatever she could.

"Place your hand upon the casket." The black Dalek demanded getting annoyed with their chatter and the delay.

"All right! You're going to kill us anyway, so what the *^%$#? If you er, escaped the Time War, don't you want to know what happened?" She _had_ to stall. Had to give the Doctor time. He would come. She knew he would.

"Place your hand." The black Dalek was having none of it.

"What happened to the Emperor?" She egged on, they had to bite...they _had_ to.

The black Dalek seemed to pause and she felt a surge of relief. "The Emperor...survived?" He questioned sounding almost shocked.

Nightshade watched the interaction tensely, she didn't feel like it was the best idea to bait them...to egg them on like this...that never worked for the better.

"Till he met me. Because if these are going to be my last words, then you're going to listen. I met the Emperor, and I took the Time Vortex and I pulled it into his head and turned him into dust. Do you get that? The God of all Daleks, and I destroyed him. Ha!" She laughed, and Nightshade closed her eyes taking in a breath. No. That was _not_ a good idea.

Her theory was proven seconds later, "you will be exterminated!" The black Dalek shouted, Nightshade flinched and in took air sharply. She didn't know why...but she _hated_ that word. Rose tensed as though realizing her mistake too late. Mickey grabbed her hand prepared to pull her back as Nightshade's hands went to her guns. This all happened in a matter of seconds, Nightshade moved to raise her weapon.

"Oh now, hold on, wait a minute..." a man's voice interrupted. Everyone felt their bodies relax at the sound of the Doctor's voice. Nightshade even relaxed a _tad_. He clearly knew what he was doing, so it was obviously safer with him.

The black Dalek tensed and served its eye socket to look at him, the other Daleks did the same. "Alert, alert. You are the Doctor."

"Sensors report he is unarmed." One of the other Daleks confirmed looking at the black Dalek.

"That's me. Always." The Doctor said firmly striding into the room confidently coming over to the trio before the Daleks.

"Then you are powerless." The black Dalek concluded, eye socket glued to him.

But the Doctor only shook his head, finally stopping by the group. Nightshade noted the strange glasses from before, now back on his face once more. He turned to them and smiled. "How are you?" The question was mostly directed at Rose.

"Oh, same old, you know." But she was smiling, she _knew_ it. She _knew_ he would come.

The Doctor nodded and turned to Mickey, Nightshade was watching the Daleks uneasily, waiting for them to break up this interaction. "Good, and Mickity! McMickey! Nice to see you!" He smiled at him cheerily. Mickey nodded in return with a smile.

"And you, boss." The Doctor nodded again and turned to Nightshade almost curiously.

"And...I met you earlier didn't I?" She nodded her eyes still on the Daleks.

"Triangulator." Was all she responded, and he opened his mouth to respond.

"Social interaction will cease!" The Dalek's cut him off angrily. But granted...weren't Dalek's _always _angry?

The black Dalek turned to the Doctor. Far more interested in him then anyone else now. "How did you survive the Time War?" He questioned, watching their greatest enemy.

"By fighting. On the front line. I was there at the fall of Arcadia. Someday I might even come to terms with that. But you lot ran away!" He shouted at them, in the way only he could.

"We had to survive." The Dalek responded simply.

"The last four Daleks in existence. So what's so special about you?" What could possibly make them more important than all the other Daleks that fought and died on the front lines?

Rose gazed at them before recalling something, "Doctor, they've got names, I mean, Daleks don't have names, do they?" She turned to look at him. "One of them said Thay."

Thay turned his eye socket to look at them, "I am Dalek Thay." He confirmed.

"I am Dalek Sec." The black Dalek chimed in, Nightshade raised an eyebrow. It was apparently introduction time.

"Dalek Jast," continued the third Dalek.

And finally, "Dalek Caan." Caan finished them off.

Nightshade was starting to get a tad annoyed. The pounding in her chest wouldn't stop, and a terrible headache was starting to come over her...she didn't know how hut it was even starting to make her vision blurry!

"So that's it! At last. The Cult of Skaro. I thought you were just a legend." Nightshade winced and held her head as another painful throb came over her. She gripped her hair taking a deep breath, not noticing Mickey glancing at her, barely hearing the Doctor's words.

Or Rose's response as she looked at the Doctor, "who are they?"

The Doctor didn't look at her as he responded, "a secret order above and beyond the Emperor himself. Their job was to imagine, think as the enemy thinks. Even dared to have names. All to find new ways of killing." He said that last part with a bit too much bite to his words. Nightshade however, figured that was a smart way of doing things. Even if the Daleks seemed to be a rather one dimensional species with only hate to live with. It was intelligent to have a subsection of your species and give them imagination.

"But that thing, they said it was yours.. I mean, Time Lords. They built it. What does it do?" He asked looking at the Doctor, but glanced back at Nightshade again as she winced and held her head in one hand.

"I don't know. Never seen it before." The Doctor admitted with a shrug, Nightshade took a deep breath. Everything was starting to hurt now.

"But it's..." Even Rose noticed as she looked at her with a frown, before finishing, "...Time Lord..." She trailed off watching the odd woman closely.

"Both sides had secrets," he countered, not seeming to notice the confusion in her voice. He took a breath brow furrowing, "What is it? What have you done?"

Sec was the one to respond, "Time Lord science will restore Dalek supremacy." But that only further confused everyone.

"What does that mean? What sort of Time Lord science? What do you mean?" The Doctor demanded feeling uneasy, but not knowing what he was fighting against, and that only made him further uneasy.

"They said one touch from a time traveller will wake it up." Rose supplied hoping it would help.

"One thing a Dalek can't do...touch. Never feeling anything...no cold...heat. Touch of another creature, locked away inside a metal casket, there to live and there to die...and they scream...because they are alone." Nightshade ground out through the pounding against her skull. The others turned to look at her confused, but she shared the sentiment. She had _no_ idea where that came from.

The Doctor looked a little more confused than the others, but before he could wonder how a human could know that...

"The Doctor will open the Ark!" Sec ordered, but the Doctor just turned his attention to him.

"The Doctor will not." He countered simply.

"You have no way of resisting." Sec responded, recalling what had been conclusive in the scans. He had no weapons on him. So that meant he was defenseless.

"Well, you got me there. Although there is always this." He pulled out his sonic screwdriver and shrugged at them. Nightshade was almost on the verge of collapsing, the headache that had been ever persistent and only seemed to be getting worse, along with her vision, Mickey moved closer seeing this and getting ready to catch her.

"A sonic probe?" Sec would've been amused if he had any other emotions.

"That's screwdriver." The Doctor corrected quickly, he did not have a _probe_, it was his _screwdriver_. He wasn't going to have anyone going around saying he had a _probe_. That was all kinds of weird.

"It is harmless." Sec concluded not seeing it as any sort of big deal.

"Oh, yes. Harmless is just the word. That's why I like it. Doesn't kill, doesn't wound, doesn't maim. But I'll tell you what it does do. It is very good at opening doors." he lifted it and turned it on, that familiar whirling filled the companion's ears. Rose jumped a tad as the laboratory door blew in. The man she recognized as Jake came in followed by a Cyberman, both of them guns blazing.

"Delete! Delete! Delete! Delete!" The Cyberman cried as he started shooting at the Daleks, Jake followed suit, both firing their guns, actually hitting the Daleks and almost..._almost_ working as a cohesive team.

They managed to hit Jast, "Alert. Casing impaired. Casing impaired." He called as he ran diagnostics to find his armor had been damaged in the hit.

"Rose, get out!" the Doctor called as he jumped to the side. Rose bolted for the door where Jake and the Cyberman came from but she ended up stumbling only for a man to catch her, she looked up and gaped at the sight of her father Pete...but it only took her seconds to remember that this was the parallel Pete. From a world where he hadn't died. But of course, that world had been where Rose had never been born.

Somewhere she heard, "Fire power insufficient! Fire power insufficient!" from one of the Daleks, but all she could do was stare at him.

"Come on!" The urgent note to his voice was enough to pull her from her stupor.

Mickey glances between his large gun on the ground and the near collapsed woman next to him. But he couldn't do anything to help her with all the enemies around, but leaving her in the center was a bad idea. He grabbed her hand and pulled her up, while also hurrying and getting the large gun on the ground.

"Daleks will be deleted. Delete. Delete." The Cyberman cried as he continued to fire at the Daleks along with Jake. They almost seemed to be winning.

Nightshade stumbled after the person who held her arm, she wasn't sure who, and while normally she couldn't stand people grabbing her, but she could barely function, let alone do anything. Just when she didn't think it could get any worse, a pain exploded in one of the useless limbs. She cried out in surprise and agony as it flashed over her body. It had been one of the shots from the Dalek, but she had been lucky, it had only skimmed her, but still, it _hurt._ She gasped collapsing next to Mickey who was now sitting near the Ark and firing at the Daleks.

"Mickey, come on!" Rose called from the door, Mickey looked up and looked at her, but he had more urgent matters at the moment.

"Adapt to weaponry." Jast called, from where he was, the other Daleks began to do just that.

"Fire power restored!" Sec cried victorious, and they began to fire their new and improved lasers at the Cyberman and Jake. They missed Jake as he dodged, but the Cyberman was soon destroyed. Mickey and Nightshade get jostled and Mickey puts out his hand to keep himself steady and ends up touching the Ark. As he pushed himself up he pulled the barely conscious Nightshade up and put her arm over his shoulders. He took her as she stumbled, to the door where the others were. As they hurried to leave and as the Doctor shut the door, they could barely hear Sec speak.

"Cybermen primary target."

The door shut with a slight thud before them. Mickey held up Nightshade who felt sick and half dead as both the pain from her head and the intense pain from her useless limb rocketed through her system.

They were now in a corridor and the Doctor made sure the door was shut before turning to them.

"Jake, check the stairwell. The rest of you, come on." Jake raced off at the order, and the others followed after the Doctor. Nightshade heavily leaning on Mickey as they went.

"Doctor, she's been shot." Mickey called as he helped her along.

The Doctor turned around at that, he came over and pulled out his screwdriver, he ran it over her and then pulled it back to read the readings.

And he froze, he froze in place, stiffening up and gazing at the readings with bated breaths. He scanned her again, unbelieving...not wanting to get his hopes up. Not wanting to hope…

But so desperately wanting it to be true.

He scanned her for a third time taking hard breaths.

"Doctor? What's wrong?" Rose asked quietly watching the expression on his face morph from shock, disbelief to desperation. She touched his arm, but he didn't respond.

He couldn't believe what he was seeing, he could barely think. His eyes lifted from the sonic to the half conscious woman before him. Shock evident on his face, he felt so many different things, relief...so...so much relief. But also...growing concern for the state she was in, not that he wouldn't be concerned otherwise. Of course he would! But...somehow it was different. Standing before him...standing before him was a Time Lady. He didn't know how, how she could have survived, how come he didn't sense her, was he really that out of touch? Did she know him? Why didn't she say anything? So many questions were in his head. Bubbling up, he could barely think about the situation around him. Barely think about anything.

_He wasn't the last one_.

And that thought...he couldn't comprehend it.

"Doctor. What is it? Is she going to be okay?" Mickey called trying to get him to focus. He'd never seen the man in such a state before.

With that, everything came crashing down on him, the situation. The Cyberman. The Daleks...and one other thing...what was it again…?

...Jackie!

She was being hunted by the Cybermen. He could deal with this later...even if he so desperately wanted to now. He seemed to jumpstart and take a breath.

"We need to get moving." He started heading down the hallway, resisting the urge to take the Time Lady from Mickey, he needed to focus. Needed to save humans. Save Jackie. Deal with the Daleks.

Even if so many questions pounded at his skull.

Mickey adjusted the woman, she was conscious enough to hold up the limbs attached to her back...which was good. It would be very difficult to hold her with them dragging behind.

But that wasn't the only thing on his mind. He turned to them, almost desperate for them to understand, knowing they had all seen.

"I just fell, I didn't mean to, really!" He tried, hoping they didn't blame him for opening the Ark. He had been trying to shoot, and monitor the woman he currently held. It was _not_ an easy task. It didn't help his conscience or confidence as the Doctor kept glancing back at him, as if expecting him to drop the woman.

But the Doctor only shook his head, "Mickey, without us, they'd have opened it by force. To do that, they'd have blown up the sun. You've done us a favour. Now, run!" He called everyone, but waited for Mickey to catch up with him so to help with the half awake woman he was practically carrying. The Doctor came on her other side and put her arm over his shoulders as well. Hurrying with Mickey to where he knew Jackie was.

**~A~**

Pete had taken the lead, Rose and Jake not far behind, and the Doctor, Mickey and the half conscious Nightshade taking the back.

Pete turned a corner and shot from his gun, and when the Doctor heard Jackie's voice. He was relieved. Despite all the grief that Jackie gave him, he would never wish death by Cyber upon anyone.

He tried to focus on the situation and at the conversation before him as he and Mickey also rounded the corner. But he couldn't. He was far too unnerved with the lack of...presence next to him. He had thought contact might help him feel her presence in his mind...even if she had been blocking her thoughts. He would be able to sense her. There would be the faint sound of her whispered and garbled thoughts. But there was nothing. It was as though he was holding a human. If it wasn't for the double heartbeat and the scans from the sonic. He never would've believed that she was one of his kind. _Why_ couldn't he sense her? Why hadn't she said anything? How did she survive the war? Did she know what he did? He had so many questions and she was too outta it to listen.

He didn't even chime in when Jackie mentioned that her husband was dead, he was far too preoccupied by his own thoughts as he gazed at what he could see of the Time Lady's face. On her back...what he had initially assumed was a blanket, a soft feathered blanket. He soon found to be...limbs, wings almost. Attached to her back, they were warm, they were alive, and one of them was skimmed by the Dalek laser. He didn't know what kind of pain that caused. And it only added to the questions he already had. One of them, why did she have guns?

He was only pulled from his thoughts as he heard Pete put down his gun. The couple embraced, relieved to have at least another version of their spouse with them. The Doctor would usually feel an odd emotion, happiness mixed with a bit of sorrow as he realizes he was alone. But this time was different. This time, he wasn't the last.

It was hard to explain, but it's like this weight lifted from his chest.

**A/N: Thank you everyone who has followed this story and read through the chapters, I do hope you guys enjoy it! Feel free to leave a review. **

**Earthian.**


	5. Doomsday: Goodbye and Hello

**A/N: Ah yes, a part three! Hello everyone this is part three of the Doomsday Episode, I will try to do two chapters a episode, but in some cases like this, I want to try and keep them short so it doesn't feel like it is dragging. Anyways, I do hope you guys enjoy the chapter!**

**DECLAIMER: I do not own Doctor who or any of it's properties, that belongs to BBC**

**I do however own Nightshade and the story that comes with her.**

In order for his plan to work, he had to leave the Time Lady with Mickey. Not something he was wanting terribly to do, for he was sure if he looked away too long she would disappear. But, they were in the middle of a crisis. Within the warehouse there was chaos. Daleks, Cybermen and humans fighting an all out battle in there. The Daleks glided in the air with the Ark in tow. The Cyberman called for a convergence of their forces upon the Torchwood tower. But they hardly stood a chance against the clearly superior Daleks. The Doctor watched for a while before crawling into the room and hiding behind a crate. They continued to battle around him, fighting hard against each other. But it was soon clear who was going to win. The Doctor went for his target. He ran over and grabbed a pair of mega magnaclamps, dodged a laser by a hairline before running back to the group. He quickly found he was unable to help Mickey with holding the Time Lady, but it was fine, Mickey was strong and she seemed to be coming to.

He only looked back once more, with his 3D glasses on, he watched as the warehouse roof began to shudder as it opened.

Sec lifted his eye socket, "Elevate." He called to his comrades, the Dalek and the Ark began to rise out of the building and through the open roof.

"What're they doing? Why do they need to get outside?" Rose questioned eyebrows furrowed deeply, the Doctor shook his head unable to figure out what they were doing.

"Time Lord science. What Time Lord science? What is it?" He shook his head, the gears within starting to turn rapidly as he thought. What could it _possibly_ be for?

Sec and the Ark exited the building through the roof, leaving the Doctor to only wonder…

Wanting to be away from the continued battle scene they returned to the corridor, Nightshade began to stir and looked around, she was considerably paler, but at least conscious.

"We've got to see what it's doing. We've got to go back up. Come on! All of you. top floor!" The Doctor called heading for the stairs. He would either have to get Jake to hold the magnaclamps or help with the Time Lady. Either way he knew Mickey would need help getting someone up the stairs.

"That's forty five floors up! Believe me, I've done them all." Jackie cried, not wanting to have to go onto the stairs again. That was _exhausting_.

As the Doctor stopped and turned to face her, Jake motioned to the lift he was standing by. "We could always take the lift."

_Everyone_ was relieved by that reminder. They piled into the lift very happy they didn't have to climb up all those stairs.

Within the lift they waited with baited breath as they went up the floors in the lift.

"Wha...whathappened…?" Nightshade slurred as she looked around trying to place where they were.

Mickey opened his mouth but the Doctor whipped around before he could speak. He looked happy to hear her voice. Rose frowned confused at that.

"Ah! You're awake, good! Not that I thought you wouldn't but it's still good! Yes...good, very good." Held out a hand practically bouncing in excitement. "I'm the Doctor! It's very nice to meet you..."

"Iknowwhoyouare..." she slurred gazing at him but not having the strength to lift her arm. What the *%%# was wrong with her? Had the shot that _grazed_ her wing done this much…? No...no, wait...she had a headache before this...a really bad one that made her feel sick...ugh. She needed her shots. "ImmaNightshade..." she slurred out sounding drunk.

The Doctor's brow furrowed a tad, "like the flower?"

Before she could answer the lift opened, sufficiently distracted the Doctor ran to the window and gazed out with a growing pit in him as all these Daleks shot out of the Ark. He swallowed gripping the clamps tighter.

"Time Lord science. It's bigger on the inside." He mumbled, gazing out at the scene, and trying his best to push away the memories.

"Did the Time Lords put those Daleks in there? What for?" Mickey asked approaching the window as well, with a more awake Time Lady.

"...it's a prison ship...made to hold a lot of them. A compressed prison." Nightshade got out, sounding more awake then before, and also sufficiently cutting off the Doctor. He looked at her blinking and taking a moment to recall what she was.

He...just couldn't _sense_ her.

"How many Daleks?" Rose asked quietly watching them.

"Millions." The Doctor's voice was grim.

They watched as the Daleks spread over London, the Cyberman stopping in their marches to start firing at the sky.

They watched grimly as the Daleks begin to also fire upon the humans, the gravity of the situation finally setting in.

"I'm sorry, but you've had it. This world's going to crash and burn. There's nothing we can do. We're going home." Pete spoke up for the first time in a while, he removed a yellow medallion from one of his fellow soldiers. He turned to his wife from this world. "Jacks, take this. You're coming with us." His tone leaves no room for argument. But of course. She argued.

"But they're destroying the city." she countered, he could only smile fondly.

"I'd forgotten you could argue. It's not just London, it's the whole world. But there's another world just waiting for you, Jacks. And it's safe as long as the Doctor closes the breach. Doctor?" He turned to look at the man, who then turned around wearing his 3D glasses. He grinned.

"Oh, I'm ready. I've got the equipment right here. Thank you, Torchwood."

He runs over to a computer terminal and starts typing things in.

"Slam it down and close off both universes." He said brightly, turning to them. It was a simple solution. Just send them straight to the void.

"Reboot systems." The computer called as the Doctor worked. Nightshade was finally able to stand on her own and she gazed on brow furrowed...there was something important about other universes...wasn't there?

"But we can't just leave. What about the Daleks? And the Cybermen?" Rose asked concerned for the people outside dying as they spoke.

"They're part of the problem, and that makes them part of the solution. Oh yes! Well? Isn't anyone going to ask what is it with the glasses?" He looked at them arms out grinning, waiting for someone to ask.

"What is it with the glasses?" Rose asked with a fond smile.

"I can see, that's what. because we've got two separate worlds, but in between the two separate worlds, we've got the Void. That's where the Daleks were hiding. And the Cybermen travelled through the Void to get here. And you lot, one world to another, via the Void. Oh, I like that. Via the Void. Look." He handed them over to Rose glancing back at Nightshade. She had void stuff as well...but given who she was, that wasn't _terribly _surprising. He would have to ask her about it later...he had _so_ many questions to ask her. She caught his gaze and frowned at him. He cleared his throat and looked away, turning back to Rose who now had the glasses on.

"Reboot in three minutes." The computer called. Rose gazed over him with a frown.

"What is it?" She asked gazing over him confused.

"Void stuff." He responded specifically.

"Like er, background radiation." She guessed and he nodded confirming it.

"That's it. Look at the others." She did so, frowning slightly at Nightshade's readings. "And the only one who hasn't been through the Void, your mother. First time she's looked normal all in her life." He added with a smirk, Rose followed suit looking away from Nightshade and to her mum.

"Oi." Jackie called offended at the insult.

"But the Daleks lived inside the Void. They're bristling with it. Cybermen, all of them. I just open the Void and reverse. The Void stuff gets sucked back inside." He continued to explain, Nightshade watched quietly and looked back outside. The destruction only continued. This was taking a awful long time.

"Pulling them all in!" Rose called cheerfully. The Doctor nodded as Nightshade glanced back over.

Honestly tho, adrenaline was probably what was keeping her going. She was _exhausted _and in _lots_ of pain.

"Pulling them all in!" The Doctor repeated after Rose happily.

"Sorry, what's the void?" Mickey called sharing the thoughts of several people there.

"The dead space. Some people call it Hell." The Doctor answered, turning to him.

Mickey couldn't help but grin, "So you're sending the Daleks and Cybermen to Hell. Man, I told you he was good." He said the last part to his partners from the parallel universe.

But then Rose turned to the Doctor brow furrowed as she handed back the glasses, he pocketed them in his blazer. "But it's like you said. We've all got Void stuff. Me too, because we went to that parallel world. We're all contaminated. We'll get pulled in." That's when the Doctor turned grim. He turned to her and took a breath.

"That's why you've got to go." He looked at her trying to convey the importance of this. Nightshade frowned. Did that include her? If this was a parallel world...she didn't want to end up in some backwater reality where they just discovered 3D. She had to have the void stuff, travel between universes. She was sure she had done that.

"Reboot in two minutes." The computer called, drawing their attention to the fact that their time was ticking. Nightshade glanced back at the window...and couldn't help but wonder how many people have already died.

"Back to Pete's world. Hey, we should call it that. Pete's World. I'm opening the Void, but only on this side. You'll be safe on that side." He tried to cheer things up in the middle. Absentmindedly trying to relieve the weight of the situation that he felt. The fact that he was having to let Rose go.

"And then you close it, for good?" Pete asked urgently. He needed to know that once they got back, it would be over, he couldn't lose another Jackie.

"The breach itself is soaked in Void stuff. In the end it'll close itself. And that's it. Kaput." He concluded typing into the computer. He didn't want to look at her, he didn't want to think about it.

"But you'll stay on this side?" Rose asked softly, willing him to look at her change his mind, tell her he had another plan. That he _wasn't _asking her to leave him forever.

Nightshade gazed at them all. This was obviously a sensitive moment. But she needed to know. "What about me? I showed up here from another world."

"You're staying." The Doctor responded quickly, so quickly Rose was taken aback. Her brow furrowed.

"Wait...why does she get to stay? We don't even know her!" She cried not seeing the logic in any of this! Why did this woman get to stay when she couldn't?

The Doctor didn't say anything for a moment, "because...I can't be the last...anymore Rose." That was quiet.

Nightshade's brow furrowed in confusion. What the heck was that supposed to mean?

Rose however went wide eyed and looked at her in a way that made Nightshade uncomfortable. She knew she couldn't argue with him about that, "you mean..."

But Nightshade frowned deeply, "look, I don't particularly care about what drama is going on right now, sure it's important to you and yadda yadda, but there are people _dying _outside. So can we like, move this along? Normally I don't _really_ care, but this is a pretty serious situation. No. I'm not going to whatever $#% reality you guys come from or don't come from or whatever. I've been shot, have a bloody migraine the size of the Alder building and my temper is _very_ thin right now. I just need to know how I don't go into the endless bloody void. Okay?" They blinked at her, before the Doctor slowly nodded.

"Okay, so, these magnaclamps...that's why I've got them." He holds them up, "I'll just have to hold on tight. I've been doing it all my life." He offered a slight smile, but no one smiled back.

"I'm supposed to go." Rose stated blandly. She...she _understood_ why this woman would stay behind. But she couldn't help but be bitter about it. _She_ had been with the Doctor longer..._she_ had been his companion. He _just_ met this woman...even if she was one of his own kind…

The Doctor couldn't look at her, that irritated her more. "Yeah." That was all he could say.

"To another world, and then it gets sealed off." She continued watching him. Nightshade kept quiet watching them both carefully and wondering just how much longer this would take.

"Yeah." He repeated still not looking at her.

"Forever. That's not going to happen." Right as she said that the building shook. Nightshade looked at the window seeing the onslaught only continue. She took a deep breath. It was one thing for the people out there...but now it was coming back _inside. _Great.

"We haven't got time to argue. The plan works. We're going. You too. All of us." Pete finally cut in, as annoyed with this all as Nightshade was. But Rose shook her head.

"No. I'm not leaving you here." She was talking to the Doctor. Looking at him with such dedication and loyalty...Nightshade couldn't comprehend it.

"I'm not going without her." Jackie insisted crossing her arms and stubbornly turning to Pete.

He wasn't having any of it. "Oh, my God. We're going!" He insisted, throwing up his arms. Nightshade's brow furrowed at this interaction.

"I've had twenty years without you, so button it. I'm not leaving her." Jackie countered angrily. Rose shook her head.

"You've got to." She said quietly. She wouldn't...she couldn't let her mum stay here on account of her.

Jackie soon whipped on her, "well, that's tough."

Rose just shook her head still trying to insist, "Mum..."

"Reboot in one minute." The computer called. Nightshade frowned at it, it _had_ to have been longer than a minute at this point...but...apparently not.

"I've had a life with you for nineteen years, but then I met the Doctor, and all the things I've seen him do for me, for you, for all of us. For the whole stupid planet and every planet out there. He does it alone, mum. But not anymore, because now he's got me." _She_ was what made the Doctor not alone. Not this stranger that was his species. She turned around to face the Doctor and as she did, he put the medallion he had gotten from Pete's world around her neck. Just as he did, and the second he let go.

Her brow furrowed, "what're you..."

Pete hit the button making everyone including Rose vanish before the Doctor and Nightshade. The Doctor paused a moment before turning to the controls. Nightshade went over to him to ask if she could help...only for a few seconds later, Rose reappeared.

"I think this is the in switch..." the Doctor whipped around and rounded on her.

"Once the breach collapses, that's it. You will never be able to see her again. Your own mother!" He finished panting, but she gazed up at him evenly.

"I made my choice a long time ago, and I'm never going to leave you. So what can I do to help?" She finished, gazing up at him evenly. Not faltering.

"Systems rebooted. Open access." The computer announced. Nightshade went over to the controls to see if there was something she could do. Her brow furrowed and her hands landed on the keys, as they did, she already started typing. She watched the stuff appear on screen. She barely understood it. But she was somehow helping. She knew that.

"Those coordinates over there, set them all at six. And hurry up." He said the last part a bit too harsh, but he couldn't help being a bit irritated. She...didn't understand what she was giving up.

Rose nodded and went to the terminal taking off her medallion.

Nightshade glanced over at them gazing at the duo awhile.

"I don't understand it." She muttered watching them, Rose looked over the Doctor kept working but listened. "Why...would you come back knowing you could get injured?" She questioned Rose brow furrowed.

Rose blinked at her, not expecting that, "well...because I care for him...he's my friend and I know despite what he says. He needs me."

But that only seemed to further confuse the masked woman, "but...why does that matter? What does...being his...f...friend have to do with anything?"

That made them both look at her. Rose's brow furrowed.

"Have...you ever had a friend…?" She questioned softly.

Nightshade frowned, her useless things pinning behind her back further. "...I don't think that's a relevant question to this situation." She turned to the computer and continued to type.

Rose glanced at the Doctor and he at her. He took a breath and turned to Nightshade. "Well...we can be friends! The three of us, eh? The three amigos? Harry, Ron and Hermione!"

Rose smiled at him, glad he seemed to be over being upset with her returning. "Yeah! Like Luke, Han and Leia!"

"The three stooges!" The Doctor continued with a laugh. Nightshade looked at them confused and in a sorta state of shock.

"...I am a girl...you know that right?" Every mention had at least two boys…

They looked at her, before laughing again, she looked confused, tilting her head. But Rose's laughs died as she looked down at the console. She looked up at the Doctor.

"Doctor, we've got Cybermen on the way up." He turned to look at her.

"How many floors down?" He questioned eyes flickering to the door.

Rose shook her head reading the schematics on the console. "Just one."

Nightshade looked up, "I can hold them off for you."

"Levers operational." The computer announced.

"No, we need you here to make sure you don't get pulled in." The Doctor told her, "after all, we wouldn't want to lose our third musketeer eh?" He smiled and Nightshade offered a confused one in return.

"That's more like it. Bit of a smile. The old team." Rose smiled as well, feeling a lot better then she did only a little bit ago. Nightshade watched the interaction curiously.

"Old team?" She questioned, they turned to her as the Doctor got the magnaclamps ready.

"Oh yeah! Like Hope and Glory! Mutt and Jeff, Shiver and Shake!" The Doctor called, Roze smiled at him.

"Which one's Shiver?" She asked, smiling at him fondly.

"Oh, I'm Shake." He hands Rose a magnaclamp, and beckons Nightshade over, she comes, using the desks to help her a tad. She still felt very, very weak. The Doctor noticed.

"Rose you take one, and since Nightshade..." pauses and looks at her, "mind if I call you Nighty? Shade? Shad? How 'bout Flower eh? Ya know. Cause it's like a poisonous flower?"

But she just looked at him blandly. "Nightshade will do."

He nodded with a breath, "Nightshade it is then, you'll be with me, just to make sure you can hang on, being injured and all."

Nightshade took a breath and grumbled under it, before coming over. She tensed up considerably as he got behind her, she grabbed the handle making sure her gloves lock into place. Her useless limbs press tightly against her back. Once they were set, and he reached around her to reach the handle, he turned to Rose.

"Press the red button." He directed. She did so and ran to her clamp, she grabbed onto it. And turned to the Doctor. Waiting. "When it starts, just hold on tight. Shouldn't be too bad for us but the Daleks and the Cybermen are steeped in Void stuff. Are you ready?" He looked at both of them and they both nodded Nightshade taking deep breaths and holding on. She didn't care how weak she felt. She was _not_ going into the void. Rose turned and nodded to the Daleks approaching the window rapidly.

"So are they." There was a hint of nervousness in her voice, but granted. Who _wouldn't?_ It was the Daleks.

"Let's do it!" The Doctor called before Rose and Nightshade grabbed the lever, and pulled it into position before setting themselves on the magnaclamps. Nightshade tensed at how close the Doctor was to the useless items. She took a deep breath and tried to ignore the feeling.

"Online." The computer called. The rift started powering up, a bright light emits from the breach and a strong wind soon follows, pulling everything inward, nothing really moved tho. For a split second it seemed like it might not work, until a Dalek broke through the window and was sucked right into the void, calling "Emergency!" As it went. The Doctor laughed soon followed by Rose, and Nightshade couldn't help but smirk.

"The breach is open! Into the Void! Ha!" He called cheerfully, hanging onto the clamp, and holding the weaker Nightshade inevitably.

Soon there began a steady stream of Cybermen and Daleks flying straight into the void from the window that the first Dalek had come through.

Things seemed to be going very well, until Rose's lever moves a tad, but moves enough to deactivate the machine.

"Offline." The computer called, confirming their fears. The suction started to decrease. The Doctor watched with growing horror as Rose let go of the magnaclamp to grab the lever and pull it back in place. The problem was, both her and the lever were being dragged in the wrong direction.

"I've got to get it upright!" She called over the loud bellowing of the wind. She pushed and pushed with all her might, and finally got it in place. It locked once more and the suction started up again.

"Online and locked." The computer called as the pulling and suction from the breach begin to build up again. Causing all of them to strain against their handholds. Nightshade tried to keep her mind on the matter and _not_ how close the Doctor was to her useless appendages.

"Rose, hold on! Hold on!" The Doctor called leaning closer, but there was no way for him to get to her. To try would be foolish and he would just get sucked into the void.

Nightshade watched, _almost_ alarmed as the girl began to go to a very horizontal position barely hanging onto the lever that was both luckily and unluckily locked into place.

She was being pulled toward the void, only just barely hanging on. Nightshade could hear the Doctor's panicked breaths, could feel the racing of his...hearts? Was she hearing that right?

She had no time to wonder, her hands finally slipped from the lever, even Nightshade's eyes widened as the girl went flying toward the breach. The Daleks and Cybermen were gone, already pulled into the void. Rose went flying toward the white wall, the wall that emitted a brilliant white light.

The Doctor couldn't utter a word, terror pierced his hearts as he watched her fall toward the void. Unable to help her...unable to save her.

Only for Pete to appear for a second, catch her, before disappearing in a flash of light. The wind died down, the void closes itself by consuming itself. The Doctor let go of the magnaclamp gazing at the wall distraught.

"Systems closed." The computer announced, finalizing the fact that it was over. Nightshade unlocked her gloves and watched as the Doctor walked over to the wall and leaned against it taking deep breaths. Then he turned and walked away slowly, she took a silent breath and followed after him. It's not like she had anyplace else to go.

**~A~**

Nightshade hadn't said a word, even she could sense this wasn't the time. The Doctor had said very little, but she had figured out that he was somehow telling Rose goodbye. She stayed quietly in the background, everything was a bit fuzzy and surreal feeling, but she held onto the railing.

She had felt queasy ever since she entered the Tardis, her headache having gotten worse then before now pounded at her skull painfully. Even if she had been paying attention she wouldn't have been able to make heads or tails of what anyone was saying. She leaned against the railing, by the entrance just in case he remembered she was there.

If the Doctor wasn't so focused on saying goodbye, he would've taken her to the med bay in the Tardis, she was looking worse by the second and he _promised_ himself that he would take care of the whole situation after he said goodbye...he just...he _knew_ she was okay. But...he needed to see it.

He did however guide the dazed Time-Lady...who he still couldn't believe was there...or sense. He guided her to the captains chair and had her sit as he set things up for him to be projected into the parallel world to see her. He had a limited window to do so, he had to work quickly.

Nightshade hadn't really noticed the movement until she was sitting. Which after a few moments she was grateful for, as the Tardis lurched and stopped suddenly. The Doctor went over and stood before something that Nightshade couldn't quite make out. He started speaking and a voice returned, but Nightshade couldn't make heads or tails of what they were saying, she rested her head against the chair taking deep and steady breaths to ease her headache and nausea.

**~A~**

"Where are you?" Rose whispered staring at the ghostly image of the Doctor, she had been having dreams...dreams of him calling to her, beckoning her here.

"Inside the Tardis." He responded quietly, before taking a deep breath. "There's one tiny little gap in the Universe left, just about to close, and it takes a lot of power to send this projection. I'm in orbit around a super nova. I'm burning up a sun just to say goodbye." He gave her a half smile, and she took a breath, not quite feeling up to smiling just yet.

"You look like a ghost." She whispered tears in her voice, it hurt all the more, a reminder that he wasn't really here...he wasn't here with her. He was a ghost...a ghost of this world.

"Hold on." He interjected and held up his sonic, he solidified the image by activating it. He became solid before her, and she took a deep breath and reached out a hand to touch him.

"Can I..." she trailed off questioningly.

But he shook his head and took a breath, "I'm still just an image. No touch."

"Can't you come through properly?" she asked softly, desperately hoping he'd say he was working on it. He was coming to get her, take her to see the stars and whisk her off on wild adventures.

"The whole thing would fracture. Two universes would collapse." He responded softly, she felt herself die a little inside.

"So?" She pressed quietly, with a little laugh, they were the Doctor and Rose...nothing could keep them apart...right?

But he just looked to the side and around him, trying to place where they were, "Where are we? Where did the gap come out?" At that she took a breath.

"We're in Norway." She informed him softly, just watching him...and it killed her that this could be the last time.

He nodded as he continued to look around, "Norway. Right."

"About fifty miles out of Burgen. It's called 'Darlig Ulv Stranden'" She continued.

"Dalek?" The Doctor questioned brow furrowed deeply, but she shook her head.

"Darlig. It's Norwegian for bad. This translates as Bad Wolf Bay." She took a breath. "How long have we got?"

"About two minutes." He responded, and she choked at the reality of their time running out, tears filled her eyes and she laughed a bit, but it was strained, pained.

"I can't think of what to say!" She cried, not sure what to tell him, but having so many things at the same time. The Doctor took a breath and looked to where the keep was, the same jeep that held her family.

"You've still got Mister Mickey, then?" He questioned breaking the brief silence.

She took a breath forcing herself to calm, "There's five of us now. Mum, Dad, Mickey and the baby."

At that his eyes widened and eyebrows raised, "you're not…?" he questioned unsure.

Rose just shook her head with a breath, "No. It's mum. She's three months gone. More Tylers on the way." She rubbed her arms trying to keep her composure as the time ticked away.

"And what about you? Are you..." he trailed off leaving it open for her to finish.

"Yeah, I'm back working in the shop." She responded with another breath.

"Oh, good for you."

"Shut up. No, I'm not. There's still a Torchwood on this planet. It's open for business. I think I know a thing or two about aliens." She supplied a slight smile.

He smiled in return, "Rose Tyler, Defender of the Earth. You're dead, officially, back home. So many people died that day and you've gone missing. You're on a list of the dead. Here you are, living a life day after day. The one adventure I can never have." He said...almost wistfully as he gazed at her.

Tears filled her eyes once more and she did everything she could hold them back, she took a deep breath. "Am I ever going to see you again?" Her voice was still clotted with emotion.

But the Doctor shook his head sadly, "you can't."

She sniffed trying to keep her composure, she wouldn't be weak and start crying, despite how desperately she wanted to. "What're you going to do?"

He shrugged and took a breath, "oh, I've got the Tardis...and of course the news that I'm not the last...lots of questions, lots to do, we're the last of the Time Lords now...have to figure out how that's going to work." He took another breath.

"On your own…" she whispered, yes, technically he wasn't alone any more, but if this Time Lady was anything like him, they needed someone...they needed a human. "I love you." the words slipped out quickly, and she took a breath after it. She...had wanted to say that for so long.

"Quite right, too. And I suppose, if it's one last chance to say it, Rose Tyler-" he was cut off as his image disappeared, that's when she broke, she dropped to her knees sobbing, and Jackie ran over to her and hugged her close.

**~A~**

Nightshade only stirred to consciousness when she heard the sound of crying, she cracked her eyes open and looked at the Doctor standing there, tears slipping down his face. But she couldn't remain conscious for long and once more blacked out.

**~A~**

When her eyes opened again, she found the Doctor to be a lot closer then she would like, she jerked back taking deep breaths and scrambling back into the chair. He was scanning her with his sonic, something she did not like at all. "Oi! Don't scan me." She pushed herself up and grunted a tad, the Doctor stepped back with a breath looking at the readings again.

"Sorry...I just...had to be sure..." he swallows and looks at her in shock and confusion once more. "I just...I don't understand...how did you...I mean...how did you survive? Why-" he was cut off when she stood up best she could.

"Survive what? Life? Sorry I'm pretty good at doing that." She huffed and crossed her arms, useless limbs folding behind her back.

He opened his mouth to respond only to see someone behind her, his brow furrowed deeply. "What?"

Catching his gaze Nightshade turned around her brow also furrowing. The woman in white turned around as well.

"Oh!" She cried looking at them.

"What?" the Doctor repeated, very shocked and confused by these turn of events.

"Who are you?" The woman demanded, getting visibly angry.

"But..." the Doctor trailed as Nightshade glanced between them both.

"Where am I, eh?" The woman questioned getting angrier by the second.

"What?" The Doctor repeated once again, unable to get over it.

"What the %$# is this place?" Nightshade raised an eyebrow at that, but the Doctor just shook his head again.

"What?"

**A/N: Whew! That took me three days to write! It didn't help that I fell asleep at night instead of working on it...but anyways! Next episode The Runaway Bride! **

**I hope you guys are enjoying reading about Nightshade so-far, and I do hope that everything is believable, I am trying my best to be accurate to their characters. As always, feel free to drop a review. :)**

**And I wanted to say thank you to lil'sparrow7 for reviewing on the story. I love to hear your guys opinion. So thank you. :)**

**As for chapter postings, I find I will have to figure out a new schedule for updating, but I will do my best to be frequent.**

**Thank you everyone who has followed and favorited this story! I really appreciate all of it!**

**Earthian.**


	6. The Runaway Bride: Revelations

**A/N Hello everyone! Sorry about being rather late, this past week I was hit with allergies and only recently started working on the episode. But here it is!****DECLAIMER: I do not own Doctor Who or any of the properties associated with it. That belongs to BBC.****I do however own Nightshade and the story that comes with her.**

"What? You can't do that. I wasn't. We're in flight. That is, that is physically impossible! How did..." The Doctor trailed off gazing at the woman dumbfounded. Nightshade could only raise an eyebrow at all of it, but feeling far too weak to be able to do much but lean against the chair she had been in moments before. However, she did now have enough energy to pull out one of her few remaining shots, a long syringe with a cream colored liquid within. She hadn't had one in a while, that must be the reason behind why she was feeling so awful.

This was a extremely adverse reaction to her lack of it...that was what was weird.

Maybe she was more addicted to it then she thought? As the Doctor and the odd lady spoke, Nightshade rolled up her sleeve and jabbed the syringe into her arm. Filling her body with the contents within. When she felt her body relax and ease up the tense posture, the pounding in her chest also calmed...well. Maybe she did have a problem.

But it wasn't like she could fix it, it wasn't like a normal addiction, she actually needed this.

She needed it to survive.

"That's not even a proper word. You're just saying things." The woman's voice cut into Nightshade's thoughts. Her voice snippy, Nightshade looked over and tilted her head tiredly.

"How did you get in here?" The Doctor asked still bemused.

"Well, obviously, when you kidnapped me. Who was it? Who's paying you? Is it Nerys? Oh my God, she's finally got me back. This has got Nerys written all over it." She demanded, firing questions at him rapidly.

"Who the %@#$ is Nerys?" The Doctor demanded frustrated with his lack of answers.

"Your best friend." The woman countered sassily, Nightshade forced herself up more and took a breath watching the interaction bemused.

"Hold on, wait a minute. What are you dressed like that for?" The Doctor continued to question the woman, but this question caused Nightshade's attention to be drawn to the dress itself. It was white, her dark brows furrowed. What was she wearing that for?

She didn't even know such a white outfit even existed. It was a rather stark contrast from Nightshade's entirely black attire.

"I'm going ten pin bowling. Why do you think, dumbo? I was halfway up the aisle! I've been waiting all my life for this. I was just seconds away, and then you, I don't know, you drugged me or something!" She shouted and Nightshade raised an eyebrow.

"You weren't drugged. You're too aware and your senses aren't muddled." She leaned forward and rested her elbows on her knees, the useless things shifting on her back to get more comfortable. Then she paused and tilted her head. "Halfway up the aisle for what?"

The redhead looked at her incredulously, "well look who's talking! Why do you look like you walked out of a cheesy action movie?!" but that only made Nightshade further confused.

"Movie?" They both looked at her confused with made her frown more. But then the redhead in white turned back to the Doctor.

"I want you to take me back and reverse whatever the %$# you did!" She shouted getting back on point.

But the Doctor threw up his hands, "I haven't done anything!" Nightshade watched them, her head still throbbing but the ache in her useless limb was becoming duller. Which was good, the medicine and vitamins in the formula were working perfectly.

"I'm having the police on you! Me and my husband, as soon as he is my husband, we're going to sue the living backside off you!" Nightshade couldn't help but scoff at that. As if the cops could do anything to them, she was pretty sure they hardly existed anymore…

She paused with a frown. Right. This wasn't her...world, maybe the cops here were a big deal.

Her attention was pulled to woman when she took off running down the ramp, and toward the double doors. Now with how this...ship was known to travel and the Doctor saying they were adrift... Nightshade had a feeling that this wouldn't end well.

But might very well be entertaining.

The Doctor however didn't seem to agree with letting her, "no, wait a minute. Wait a minute. Don't!" He called, but it was useless, the woman flung open the doors and stopped dead as she stared out at the sight. Nightshade couldn't help but step closer and gaze out at the sight her brow furrowed but that was soon replaced by the widening of her eyes.

The sight...was both astonishing and familiar. Familiar...for once in a good way. Her feet brought her closer as she used the railing to prevent her from stumbling. Soon she was only slightly behind the woman.

The sight...was beautiful, back home she always got glimpses of something like this. In the night sky when she was laying atop the skyscrapers. When the sun set...when the lights died down. The sky was graced with beautiful green...blue...pink and purple hues that intermixed and highlighted the darkened sky. That was the one thing she could say she loved about the city she lived in. The place...the people were awful. But the night sky almost made up for all the terror the city had brought to her life. Maybe that's why she liked the black and light colored contrast. With the blue glow of her mask and certain areas of her otherwise depressing outfit. The sight was breathtaking. A nebula. She was sure of it. The colors blended but almost didn't mix. Giving them their own opportunity to shine, it had a cream...pink, and slightly tan hue to it. Nightshade had never been much for pretty things...but she always loved the stars.

The moment however disappeared when she heard the Doctor approach and she turned to look at him. The woman however was still transfixed on the sight.

"You're in space. Outer space. This is my space ship. It's called the Tardis." He explained softly, the woman took a breath at that.

"How am I breathing?" She questioned, Nightshade tilted her head.

"Well, I'd imagine the ship has some sort of force field, because we haven't gone flying out of it either." She mused eyes flickering back to the nebula.

The Doctor nodded at that glancing at her as she gazed at the bright cloud of interstellar dust. "The Tardis is protecting us." He answered and confirmed Nightshade's suspicions. Nightshade leaned back against the railing as the woman turned to face the Doctor.

"Who are you?" She breathed gazing at him in confusion and hesitancy, her eyes flickered to Nightshade as well, "who are the both of you?"

"I'm the Doctor. You?"

"Donna." She responded and glanced at Nightshade. She frowned before taking a breath and looking around.

"Nightshade." She responded a tad tersely.

But Donna's brow furrowed, "like the poison?"

Nightshade turned back to her and smirked, the smirk visible by her eyes crinkling slightly. "Yes. Exactly like the poison." The woman stared at her and the Doctor only sighed. That wasn't helping.

But to be fair, Nightshade didn't really care.

"So...you're human yes?" The Doctor inquired looking over her, trying to get her back on topic and away from the fact that the other person here was named after poison.

"Yeah, is that optional?" Donna turned back to him with a raise of an eyebrow, the Doctor nodded with a slight shrug,

"Well, it is for me." He glanced briefly at Nightshade as Donna stared at him.

"You're an alien." She stated blandly, the Doctor's attention however was on Nightshade.

"Yeah..." he paused a beat, "we both are." At that Nightshade's attention snapped to him, confusion and anger flashing over her face.

"I am human." She growled, her useless limbs pinning behind her back fists clenching. At that his eyes widened ever so slightly.

She didn't know.

Lucky for him Donna spoke up, hugging her arms to herself with a breath, "It's freezing with these doors open." She muttered with another breath, the Doctor, glad for the distraction turned and shut the doors. He would have to deal with the unaware Time-lady later, he had to figure out how this woman managed to get onto the Tardis in mid-flight.

But he couldn't help how he smiled slightly with a slight spring to his step. She may not remember...or even know...but…

He wasn't alone.

And the universe be @$#%*@, he was going to make sure it stayed that way.

He felt a bit of life grace his hearts, yes, most of it was overshadowed by the loss of Rose, the loss of the companion who stuck by him and wormed her way into his hardened hearts.

He knew if it wasn't for her, he wouldn't be the man he was today.

Sorrow tugged at him again and the slight spring and smile faded. He took a breath, he had lots to do.

Which was good, he loved a good distraction.

"I don't understand that and I understand everything. This, this can't happen! There is no way a human being can lock itself onto the Tardis and transport itself inside. It must be..." He trailed off and grabbed a ophthalmoscope and whipped around to look at Donna's eyes, his brow furrowing at the sight, "Impossible. Some sort of subatomic connection? Something in the temporal field? Maybe something pulling you into alignment with the Chronon shell. Maybe something macro mining your DNA within the interior matrix. Maybe a genetic-" he was cut off by a solid slap to the face. He jumped back and held his cheek looking at her in shock.

Only to hear a snort from his right, he glanced over to find the masked woman chuckling softly at the scene. But then he turned back to Donna, "what was that for?!" he cried rubbing the side of his face that stung.

"Get me to the church!" Donna shouted, not in the mood to be examined by some lunatic from the stars.

Neither of them saw Nightshade frown and mutter, 'church?' under her breath with a confused note to her voice.

The Doctor took a breath and turned back to the console the stinging finally fading away. "Right! Fine! I don't want you here anyway! Where is this wedding?"

"Saint Mary's, Hayden Road, Chiswick, London, England, Earth, the Solar System." Donna responded, watching as he typed in the coordinates.

Nightshade caught the woman's gaze as it drifted to the blouse that hung over the railing, she could only assume it was Rose's.

"I knew it, acting all innocent. I'm not the first, am I? How many women have you abducted?" Donna looked between Nightshade and the Doctor, clearly they were accomplices.

The Doctor paused and turned, he gazed at the blouse and swallowed, he took a deep breath, "That's my friend's." He said softly, feeling the sorrow and pain creep up on him once more.

Donna didn't seem to catch that it was a sensitive topic, "Where is she, then? Popped out for a space walk?" She demanded gripping the blouse in her fist. But the Doctor turned away and continued imputing information into the console.

"She's gone." He responded even quieter, just wanting to be done talking about it.

Donna paused glancing between them, but Nightshade was just watching the Doctor curiously. "Gone where?"

"He lost her. Now do you want to get back to your aisle or not?" Nightshade cut in with a raised eyebrow, but that only made Donna's brow furrow for a moment before taking breath.

"Yeah, you can hurry up and lose me!" She paused and realized the phrasing of their words, "how do you mean lost?"

But the Doctor only came over and grabbed the blouse, he tosses it through a doorway before going back over to the console.

"Right. Chiswick."

And sensing that this was not something he wanted to talk about Donna just nodded and took a breath.

She paused however and looked over at Nightshade who was leaning heavily on the railing next to her, she paused and looked her over, not liking the silence, and wanting to break the tension that fell over the room.

"Are you alright?" she asked quietly, she shouldn't really care, these were her kidnappers, but she could see the practically fully covered woman trembling, but was doing her best to keep it in.

"Yes." She snapped, gripping the railing as the Doctor glanced over briefly, her gauntlet clicked as it tightened her grip on the railing. The pain was returning again, she had used up all her painkillers on her last bout of injuries, plus she barely had anything with her.

"Are you sure? You are shaking..." Donna continued, momentarily forgetting about the event she was supposed to be at in concern for the woman before her. "You sure you shouldn't be at a hospital with a proper doctor?" She sent a sideways glance at the Doctor when he called.

"Hey!" From the console, Nightshade took a deep breath feeling herself tense.

"No I-"

"It's a cut, nasty one, you probably got it infected like I warned you, didn't ya Nighty?" Nightshade's eyebrows shot up before right back down into a glare, she whipped around and was about to give this Doctor a piece of her mind when he continued, "she doesn't much like 'proper doctors'." he mocked before continuing, Nightshade hesitating and watching him uneasily, "and alien remember? We don't want her getting dissected by you curious humans." He looked at her at the mention of her supposed non-relation to the human race, at that she stiffened and almost growled, but his eyes also flickered over his shoulder and she froze realizing that he had figured out what they were.

Whether she was human or not, they would run experiments on her because of them.

And he wasn't wrong, she did really hate proper doctors.

'Yeah..." she trailed gazing at him, eyes promising a conversation later. "The Doctor is preparing a remedy for my infection." She turned back to Donna, who pursed her lips before nodding.

"Alright."

Then, much to Nightshade's relief the Tardis landed, Donna went straight for the door, Nightshade took a breath and pushed off the railing only to wobble slightly and her elbow be caught by the Doctor, her attention snapped to him and a growl built up in her throat, but froze when she saw…

Concern.

"After this is over I think you and I need to talk." He told her softly, and nodded to her back, "and that will need to be treated." Then he released her arm and headed out the door after Donna, Nightshade stood there staring after him blankly, too shocked to be angry.

Someone...was...concerned…

She didn't know what to make of that information. He must be confused...he had seen them.

He had seen what a freak she was.

So why the $@# did he want to help her?

~A~

Nightshade had almost been out of the door when the Doctor bolted back in and ran to the console. Nightshade blinked and looked out the doors wondering where Donna was as the Doctor rambled.

"...recalibrating! She's digesting. What is it? What have you eaten? What's wrong? Donna? You've really got to think. Is there anything that might've caused this?" He shook his head and took a breath still fiddling with all the controls, "anything you might've done? Any sort of alien contacts? I can't let you go wandering off. What if you're dangerous. I mean, have you, have you seen lights in the sky, or did you touch something like something, something different, something strange? Or something made out of a, box of metal or. Who're you getting married to? Are you sure he's human? He's not a bit overweight with a zip around his forehead, is he? Donna!" He finally called halting his ramble.

"I think all ya talkin' scared her off." Nightshade mumbled and motioned toward the doors to reveal a glimpse of Donna walking away. The Doctor took off after her and Nightshade took a breath.

She hated being out in the open, and was half tempted to stay inside the Tardis, but she didn't want to have to ask about information that would be potentially given out there. So, she quietly exited, and watched as the Doctor followed Donna down the sidewalk.

"Donna." The Doctor called following after her.

"Leave me alone. I just want to get married." She responded back, less bite in her tone and more...sadness? Worry? It was hard to tell. Clearly however. She was upset.

"The Doctor can take you there. His Tardis teleports." Nightshade called from where she stood. It did many other things, she could tell, but she would have to ask about those later.

"Yeah, come back to the Tardis." The Doctor tried as well, but Donna shook her head.

"No, that box is too weird." But the Doctor still tried, and Nightshade couldn't help but wonder what he had discovered in Donna to make him this insistent.

"It's bigger on the inside that's all." He tried to play it off and Nightshade couldn't help but snort a bit.

It's only bigger on the side, what's so big about that?

"Oh! That's all?" Donna mocked sharing Nightshade's thoughts, but her attention was drawn to the clock on a building, she sighs, "ten past three. I'm going to miss it."

"You can phone them," the Doctor tried, "tell them where you are."

"How do I do that?" She turned to him and Nightshade examined her dress, not seeing an area for pockets.

"Haven't you got a mobile?" The Doctor questioned confused, his brow furrowing.

"I'm in my wedding dress. It doesn't have pockets. Who has pockets? Have you ever seen a bride with pockets? When I went to my fitting at Chez Alison, the one thing I forgot to say is give me pockets!" She threw up her arms and Nightshade smirked best she could before her attention turned to the Doctor who gazed at the irate woman with a breath.

"This man you're marrying. What's his name?" He questioned with a raised eyebrow.

"Lance." She responded shortly.

"Good luck Lance." He countered and Donna frowned angrily.

"Oi! No stupid Martian is going to stop me from getting married. To #%$ with you!" She turned and took off down the sidewalk, the Doctor stood there a exasperated look on his face as Nightshade approached his side.

"I'm...I'm not...I'm not...I'm not from Mars." He stammered with a breath, Nightshade paused and looked up at him.

"So where are you from then?" If this guy said draconian…

He turned to look at her and paused before gazing at her intently, "Gallifrey." His eyes searched what he could see of her face. Her brow furrowed and she took a step back.

"Uh...cool." Then she went after Donna not liking his gaze.

She was human...why didn't people understand that?

~A~

When they caught up with Donna she was trying to get the attention of a vehicle passing by.

"Taxi!" She cried waving her hands, but the vehicle kept going. Nightshade's eyes went to all the people around as the useless things pressed against her back firmer. "Why's his light on?" Donna demanded angrily as the cars quickly passed by.

"There's another one!" The Doctor cried pointing at the yellow car quickly approaching.

"Taxi! Oi!" But ignoring Donna, it continued on, the Doctor looked around for the taxis.

"There's one!" He cried, and Nightshade took a breath, this was getting them nowhere.

"Oi!" Donna cried again but the taxi's just continue to pass them. Nightshade crossed her arms and looked around.

"Do you have this effect on everyone? Why aren't they stopping?" The Doctor shook his head, turning to Donna. She took a almost defeated breath.

"They think I'm in fancy dress." She said looking around, another car drive by but this time someone leaned out the window.

"Stay off the sauce, darling!" he cried before driving off, Nightshade raised both eyebrows.

"They think I'm drunk." she huffed getting more upset by the minute.

"You're fooling no one, mate!" Yet another driver called from his vehicle before driving off, at that one Donna huffed, more offended then before.

"They think I'm in drag!" she cried and Nightshade raised an eyebrow at the driver.

"Idiot." They both glanced at her, and she turned to look at them and shrugged motioning to Donna. "She is obviously a woman." she told them simply.

The Doctor paused before taking a breath, "hold on, hold on." he turned an put his fingers to his mouth letting out a shrill whistle, one of the taxi's did a quick u turn, turning around and picking them up.

~A~

"Saint Mary's in Chiswick, just off Hayden Road. It's an emergency. I'm getting married. Just hurry up!" Donna cried as they piled into the back seat, Nightshade hesitating only a second, she really hated cramped spaces, it always made _them_ uncomfortable, but she let out a breath, and climbed in after them, the Doctor forced to sit between the two women. Nightshade grunted and adjusted, forced to sit on them in order to shut the door.

The Doctor glanced at her, unable not to notice, especially as she sat very awkwardly putting most of the pressure on her feet and shoulders, he gave a little grimace before offering, "you can spread the one on this side at least, I don't mind." Nightshade glanced at him at that brow furrowed and she couldn't help how the one on his side pulled closer to her.

"I'm fine." She responded tersely grunting a tad and adjusting to sit between them and ended up sitting on the feathers, forcing herself to hide a wince as they were pulled.

"If..." the Doctor started and Nightshade looked at him feeling herself tense at where it was going, he continued after a moment, "if you don't mind me asking...how do you have...them-"

Thankfully he was cut off by the taxi driver's voice.

"You know it'll cost you, sweetheart? Double rates today." Donna froze and turned to them.

"Oh, my God. Have you got any money?" The Doctor turned and looked at her checking his pockets.

"Er...no, you?" He turned and looked at Nightshade. She didn't even check.

"No." she pulled out her gun, "but I have this." but the Doctor's hands instantly went to it and shoved it down, taking the weapon away.

"No guns!" he hissed glancing at the cab driver, she frowned at him brow furrowing.

"Why?!" she hissed back, "it would've worked!" But the Doctor put the weapon into his pocket and...there was no bulge from it. Her brow furrowed greatly.

That was her favorite gun.

The Doctor turned to Donna with a breath as she looked out the window nervously, "haven't you got any?" He asked, and she turned back to him and let out a breath motioning to her dress.

"Pockets!"

~A~

Inevitably they were kicked out of the taxi, Nightshade was glad for that, she let out a breath arching her back hands on her sides, she didn't even care, she stretched them out behind her letting out a breath as the joints popped, she had kept them folded for far too long. Normally by now she would've had them spread for at least two hours as she worked or went about the city.

She ignored the inevitable stares and agaped faces, luckily Donna was yelling at the taxi driver. She hated talking about them, but...she did catch the Doctor's gaze on them, an impressed and fascinated look on his face. She scowled and snapped them closed and went over to where Donna was.

"...talk about Christmas spirit." Donna grumbled as Nightshade caught the tail end of what she was saying.

"Is it Christmas?" The Doctor questioned joining Nightshade before Donna once more.

"...christmas?" Nightshade's brow furrowed, there were so many things here that she didn't understand and had never heard of.

It was starting to get frustrating, she really hated not knowing.

"Well, duh. Maybe not on Mars, but here it's Christmas Eve." Her attention was pulled to her left and she gasped, "phone box! We can reverse the charges!" She went over to it, Nightshade followed looking at it from the glass outside curiously, she hadn't ever seen something like it before. She put her hands on the glass and peered inside.

"How come you're getting married on Christmas Eve?" The Doctor asked following them over, Nightshade frowned, okay, clearly this was a important thing, this...Christmas.

"Can't bear it. I hate Christmas. Honeymoon, Morocco. Sunshine, lovely." She picked up the phone and Nightshade watched head tilted, Donna turned to the Doctor. "What's the operator? I've not done this in years. What do you dial? 100?" Nightshade almost started musing on what they would need an operator for, when the Doctor pulled out his sonic screwdriver, and turned it on...sonicing the phone thing.

"Just call direct." He responded and went over to another machine, Nightshade followed him and couldn't help but be fascinated by all these strange machines. It was old tech, yes, but she...had never seen anything like these before.

"What did you do?" Donna called from the phone box, as the Doctor and Nightshade went over to the line that was before a machine inserted into the space between two buildings.

"Something Martian. Now phone. I'll get money!" he told her and turned to the line, he let out a breath at it. "Oh, answer the phone!" he called to one of the people in line whose phone was ringing loudly.

Nightshade turned to him after a moment, "The sonic screwdriver, that's from Gallifrey right?" She'd never seen anything like it, and by Donna's confusion it clearly wasn't something from this...earth.

"Huh?" he turned to her and then looked at his sonic, "oh, well sorta, I made it." he told her with a grin, she was gazing at it though. But his grin fell at her next words.

"The Daleks said you were the last, and there was mention of a Time-war..." she frowned under her mask and looked up at him brows furrowed, "why do you keep calling me an alien like you?" Then she paused and frowned more, standing up straighter, "is it because of these things?" she demanded motioning behind her. They moved a bit forward with the line as she gazed up at him wanting answers.

"Well...no, not exactly, I mean, yes they are non-existent in the human race, and well, I've never heard, or known of a time lords to have limbs like that. I think there is a race on Virciina that has bird wings as well, but not to your size and they also have bird feet and beaks, so that can't be it..." he trailed off looking over her, "can it? I mean...like do you have a bird beak under that mask? Why do you wear that anyways? Is it like a secret agent sorta thing? Not wanting anyone finding out who you are?" he shrugged with a tilt of his head and a breath, "well, it is possible that you are Virciinanian but that doesn't really explain the double hearts. Nor the sonic and Tardis recognizing you as a Time-lord..." pauses and nods, "you could've regenerated into a Virciinanian, I mean, it is possible to regenerate into anything, just rather uncom-"

"What the @#*$$@ are you talking about!?" she demanded, irritated with all his ramblings. He paused and looked at her with a breath,

"You don't really know...do you?"

"Know what?! That you're crazy?! Cause I think I've figured that out!" she countered fists clenched.

"No...Nightshade, you aren't human." He told her softly, there was only one person in front of them now.

"No! I am, I don't know what you are talking about or what the Vircii...whatchamacallits are!" She took a hard breath, "I AM human. I don't have two hearts and I-"

"You sure about that?" he pressed gently, and she froze looking at him brow furrowed.

"W...what? Of...of course I am! That's something you know!" She tried, but could feel her stomach twisting in knots.

"Then...would you mind checking your pulse for me? Maybe I'm wrong...but my scans reveal...two hearts." He gazed at her a moment, and she stood her arms frozen in place.

"I...I...I'm...I'm not sure...I want too..." she whispered, surprised by the intense feelings flashing through her, the headache pounding cruelly at her skull. She didn't even notice he took her hands.

"Listen...I know it's scary...but it's true...you aren't a human Nightshade, you're like me, you're a Time-lord. Or...lady in your case." He told her gently, but she could barely hear him, her chest lifted and fell hard as her brows furrowed.

"W...why...why...Doctor...why do I hear screaming…?" she whispered fear in her voice. It's not like she wasn't used to screaming, she heard it all the time, screaming and shouting. That's what growing up on the streets did to you.

But...this was somehow different.

She felt something catch in her throat and she took deep and shaky breaths, the pounding in her chest reaching her ears, she didn't notice how she clutched his hands.

"T...that's the war...the war that destroyed our people." He told her gently, while also piecing things together slowly. So...she was in the time war.

"But...but I've...I've never been in a war...I...I don't remember this..." she took a sharp breath as a loud scream echoed in her ears, she knew it wasn't from around her, not from the present. No...this was something else.

"Maybe you suppressed it? Someone wiped your memory? Nightshade, trust me, just take deep breaths, focus." He tried, squeezing her hands gently, her breath hitched and she clenched her teeth ignoring the sharp pain that filled her mouth at the action.

"Focus on what…? There..." her voice trailed off as she caught the emotion in it.

What the #@$%# was wrong with her?

They were finally before the machine, the Doctor let go of one of her hands, but kept the other in his. She hardly noticed, her mind was spinning, he glanced at her before sonicing the machine, it skipped over all the safeguards and gave him money. He put it in his pocket and looked at her before over to Donna to make sure she was still there. She was talking to a woman who looked confused and concerned. But then his gaze drifted over to the sight of three Christmas santa's with brass instruments. His brow furrowed at the three of them, but then his attention turned back to Nightshade for a moment, her eyes were pretty wide. He winced a bit, maybe he should've waited to tell her this…

His attention was once again diverted as he heard Donna, "Taxi! St Mary's Chiswick. Thanks for nothing, spaceman! I'll see you in Court." She shouted at him, and he let out a breath.

"Donna!" But the taxi left, he looked back over at the santas as they pointed their instruments at him.

Well. At least his assumption was correct.

Gripping Nightshade's hand he turned and soniced the atm causing cash to fly out of it he kept hold of the woman's hand and took off running back toward the Tardis as people rushed to grab hold the money.

He soon got to the Tardis and both he and Nightshade hurried inside. He let go of her hand only there, and ran for the console. She was left standing on the ramp, her fingers to her pulse on her neck. The sensors in her gloves send all bodily information to her glasses. She was vaguely aware of the Doctor hurrying about the console quickly pressing buttons and turning knobs.

But she was more focused on the readings she was getting back.

Two hearts….

Increased respiratory function…

Unknown DNA…

She could feel the blood run cold within her.

How had she...not noticed…?

She was distracted by the Doctor's mutterings and she looked around unable to find Donna. Where had she gone? Why did the Doctor look so urgent? She ran over to the console, ignoring the dizzy feeling she got that made her lean against it. She took a deep breath and turned to the Doctor.

"Where is Donna?" She didn't know why she cared, she didn't know why she didn't just scoff 'good riddance' and demand the Doctor take her home. But...the woman was loud, the woman was loud and angry when she was scared, she shouted, accused and yelled rather loud at people who made her upset.

And that felt...really familiar.

"She got into a taxi, but then three Santas attacked us, we need to get her before they do." The Doctor said as he moved all around the console before stopping at the monitor held up by a ring around the rotor that connected to the control area of the console. He let out a breath and turned back to the console. Only to jerk back as it sparked. He pulled out a mallet and banged it on the Tardis with a cry of, "behave!" He grabbed a string before pausing and turning to Nightshade, he came over and grabbed her hand pulling her over to where he had been. She almost protested before he put her hand on a lever, "hold that there!" He ordered before rushing over to the doors. She frowned and huffed but held the lever in place, watching on the monitor as they pulled up near a taxi, she leaned in and squinted seeing Donna banging on the window, she let out a breath and tried to get in closer as the Doctor opened up the doors. She heard them arguing back and forth, but she does her best to focus on piloting, the taxi sped up and Nightshade pushed the lever forward and sped after it. She flinched back at the bangs and sparks that came from the console. She just barely missed the roof of a car as she rushed back to the lever holding it in place. She looked up, barely hearing them speak over the sound of the Tardis going and the wind outside, along with every other noise that accompanied the highway. But the moment Donna was inside, the doors shut, and Nightshade turned and threw a lever and turned a knob, and they were off.

But moments after...she stared at the console...not knowing how she knew what to do.

And then of course it exploded into flames. There was a thunk, the Doctor came over and ushered her out as he grabbed a fire extinguisher and she ran out along with Donna. He followed blowing the extinguisher into the Tardis. A lot of smoke came out. Donna however went over and stood on the roof, gazing over the city. Nightshade followed. The Doctor soon joined them after she heard a faint clang of the extinguisher as he threw it.

"The funny thing is, for a spaceship, she doesn't really do that much flying. We'd better give her a couple of hours. You all right?" He glanced at Donna who sighed.

"Doesn't matter." She muttered gazing out over the city.

"I take it we missed it?" Nightshade asked glancing over the woman.

"Yeah."

"Well you can book another date." The Doctor tried and Donna nodded again as Nightshade turned and looked over the city.

"Course we can." She agreed, Nightshade's fingers once again went to her neck, seeing the readings before her. She didn't like this...she didn't like not knowing what was going on. Especially when it concerned her personally.

Thankfully the screams had faded, but the second heart was still there. The computer still scanned the unknown DNA. It was one thing to have the things on her back...it was something completely different to find out she wasn't even human. She felt them bunch up against her back and she let out a soft breath.

"Wish you had a time machine, then we could go back and get it right." That statement pulled her from her musings, unaware of the parts of conversation she had missed. She turned and looked at them as the Doctor rubbed the back of his neck.

"Yeah, yeah. But even if I did, I couldn't go back on someone's personal timeline." He paused when she looked at him. "Apparently." Donna let out a breath and went over to the edge, she sat down, feet hanging off. Nightshade paused a moment, before lowering her hand and joining her. She glanced at the woman who was clearly experiencing feelings. A odd part of her wanted to reach out and pat her on the back...or the head. She'd seen both done for crying children. But she kept her hands to herself and shifted in her spot thinking. She looked up at the Doctor as he placed his jacket on Donna's shoulders as he sat down on Donna's other side. Comfort. That's what he was doing.

"God, you're skinny. This wouldn't fit a rat." Donna muttered trying to pull it around her.

The Doctor pulled something out of his pocket, "oh, and you'd better put this on." He held out a gold ring to her. She sighed and looked away.

"Oh, do you have to rub it in?" She muttered looking to the side, but the Doctor grabbed her hand, Nightshade tilted her head at that.

"Those creatures can trace you. This is a bio-damper. Should keep you hidden. With this ring, I thee biodamp." He slipped the golden ring on her finger and she couldn't help but give a tired smile.

"For better or for worse." She let out a breath letting her hand drop. "So, come on then. Robot santas, what are they for?" She turned to look at him.

"Ah, your basic robo scavenger. The Father Christmas stuff is just a disguise. They're trying to blend in. I met them last Christmas." He mentioned offhanded.

"Why, what happened then?" Donna asked, gazing at him.

"Great big spaceship hovering over London? You didn't notice?" He turned to face her brow furrowed.

"I had a bit of a hangover." She responded simply.

"I spent Christmas Day just over there," he nodded over to a area of the city. "The Powell Estate, with this family. My friend, she had this family. Well, they were. Still, gone now." He let out a breath and gazed out over the city.

"Your friend...who was she?" Donna asked, watching him, her voice softer. Nightshade glanced over curious as well. She had only met Rose briefly, but she seemed to be of great importance to the Doctor.

"Question is, what do camouflaged robot mercenaries want with you? And how did you get inside the Tardis? I don't know. What's your job?" He turned back to her, avoiding the question entirely. Nightshade hmphed, and turned to look over the city again.

She froze however when the city was not what greeted her, her breath caught in her throat and she stared wide eyed at a strange...alien planet city before her, and it wasn't just that it was alien...

It was burning.

There was screaming, the sound of laser's going off, she sat looking over the city, her...hearts thumping in her ears like the sound of war drums. Her breath hitched as she looked at everything wide eyed, unable to understand why she was seeing this.

And why she was so scared of it.

If it was just that, then she may have been able to begin to digest it. If it was just that, then she would have begun the process of rationalizing it.

But then the scene changed.

While the last made her hearts pound. This one made them stop.

Black, everything around her was black, and pain...she felt...so much pain. Starting from her eyes and spreading downward as the feeling of pain bled through her body, contaminating every place imaginable. Swallowing her, digging itself into her and settling within her bones. She gasped, and couldn't help but choke for breath, her hands went to her chest and clawed at it before climbing up to her mask and pulling at it, using the knobs as anchors to try and pull it off as she heaved for breath, the darkness surrounding her, suffocating her as the pain radiated through her body. She heard faint voices, faint alarmed voices, but they couldn't get through the darkness, they couldn't break through the wall of pain, the bubble of agony that rippled around her.

The darkness was only shaken and shattered when she felt someone's hands touch her shoulder.

Reality rippled back before her, she gasped and jerked away wide eyed, leaning toward Donna and away from the Doctor who had come over on her other side. She looked up at him panting.

"Are you alright?" He asked crouching before her, she took deep breaths, and looked between him and Donna trying to regather her senses.

"Y...yeah," she clears her throat, "yeah…I'm fine."

"You sure about that? You looked like you were having a panic attack." Donna told her, a look of concern on her face that made Nightshade leap up to her feet, ignoring the wave of dizziness she felt.

"Whoa, easy there, easy. Deep breaths..." the Doctor advised standing with her, without realizing it she did as told, taking deep and heavy breaths. "That's it..." he trailed off gazing at her. "Donna was just telling me about her soon to be husband and how he asked her to marry him, yeah?" He turned and looked at her, hoping she would get the message.

Gladly she did.

"Oh yeah, I was just telling the Doctor how much he nagged me to marry him, he nagged, and nagged me." She continued and Nightshade looked over at her with a breath, she didn't want to ask, but she couldn't help but wonder.

What was this marriage thing they were making such a big deal out of?

"And he just wore me down. And then finally, I just gave in." She finished with a smile, trying not to make it obvious that she was now watching the girl slightly concerned.

That had been a very intense panic attack.

The Doctor took a seat and slowly Nightshade sat between them, looking at whoever spoke, a part of her very glad they didn't ask what that was all about.

She wouldn't be able to explain it even if she wanted to.

"What does HC Clements do?" the Doctor asked gazing at Donna as well, Nightshade glanced at him before back at the redhead.

"Oh, security systems. You know, entry codes, ID cards, that sort of thing. If you ask me, it's a posh name for locksmiths." Donna admitted with an amused sorta look on her face, Nightshade tilted her head.

She wouldn't say it aloud, but she thought security systems were stupid and overrated.

"Keys." The Doctor muttered seemingly lost in thought.

"Anyway, enough of my CV. Come on, it's time to face the consequences. Oh, this is going to be so shaming. You can do the explaining, Martian boy." Donna told him as she stood, with a brief glance at Nightshade as well.

She didn't want to say anything, the woman clearly wanted to believe that she was human.

But humans don't have those things on her back, Donna couldn't quite make out what they were, the woman almost always had them hidden against her back, or laid in a way that it almost looked like a long coat.

But Donna was getting a sneaking suspicion that they were wings, bird ones to be specific.

Which was both extremely disconcerting, and extremely cool at the same time.

They were an odd pair, she would admit that, the woman was rather quiet and imposing to be around, all the black armor and the mask didn't help at all, her attire drew the attention of many people on the street, and Donna knew her family would end up asking her a million questions, not only about where she had been but why she had a skinny man, and space themed woman with her.

Oh today was shaping up to be just great.

"Yeah. I'm not from Mars." The Doctor cut in standing as well, Nightshade soon followed glancing between them curiously.

"Oh, I had this great big reception all planned. Everyone's going to be heartbroken." Donna shook her head with a breath, but turned to Nightshade and hesitated only a second. "You are going to need to at least take the mask off if you want to avoid a lot of questions..." she trailed off and frowned, "why do you wear it anyways?"

Nightshade looked up at the question and looked between the both of them, she frowned and shifted in place. "Tell them I'm sick, and if they can't handle that. I'll wait outside." She turned and walked toward the Tardis. "The mask isn't coming off."

~A~

When they entered, they were all shocked by the sight, for varying reasons, Donna was shocked...no, Donna was aghast that they would hold the reception without her, the Doctor couldn't help but be shocked about that as well.

Nightshade however was shocked at the event itself.

People...were partying...and they looked happy about it.

Everything however halted as Donna and company entered the room.

"You had the reception without me?" She demanded watching everyone have fun on her wedding day at her reception without her.

"Donna, what happened to you?" Lance called as he approached her, but she was far too livid to even answer.

"You had the reception without me?" she demanded again, voice rising in anger. The Doctor waved from behind her.

"Hello. I'm the Doctor," then motioned to Nightshade, "and this is my friend Night." He figured adding the rest wouldn't help deal with the situation in any way. Out of the corner of his eye he noticed Nightshade look at him, a frown evident by her visible facial features.

Donna turned to look at them, aghast and what she saw, "They had the reception without me." She told them as if they didn't know. Nightshade frowned.

"Yes, I think we've figured that out." She stood with her arms crossed, but slightly behind her companions.

Sometimes she found staring to be the most uncomfortable thing someone could do to her.

"Well, it was all paid for. Why not?" A woman spoke up attracting Nightshade's attention. She had annoying cadance to her voice, and Nightshade found she was only further confirmed to be an annoying person by her appearance.

"Thank you, Nerys." Donna almost ground out with a hard breath.

"Well, what were we supposed to do? I got your silly little message in the end. I'm on Earth? Very funny. What the hell happened? How did you do it? I mean, what's the trick, because I'd love to know." Nightshade glanced at the older woman who spoke, her brow furrowed, deeply, but she almost jumped out of her skin as everyone began to rapidly talk at once. She looked around at everyone trying to pinpoint a voice to focus on, but it was very difficult. Finally she managed to hear the voice of the man who had spoken before.

"Where were you the whole time?" he almost demanded, Nightshade frowned at him, shifting as her eyes swept over his posture and the way he spoke, a pit forming in her stomach.

All the noise vanished as soon as it came, they all looked at Donna and Nightshade followed their gaze to see the woman crying. Nightshade blinked back shocked at that. This woman very quickly went from one emotion to another. Everyone quieted and the man who had spoken before came over and hugged her. Everyone applauded except for one woman. But Nightshade blinked once more as Donna winked at them. Revealing it to be a ruse.

~A~

Later Donna was back with the man that Nightshade quickly figured out was the one she was to marry. They were dancing happily as the man on stage spoke smoothly and rhythmically into a microphone, while behind him people used objects to make sounds that complimented his rhythmic speaking.

Nightshade stood by the Doctor at the bar, she leaned against the counter. Useless limbs pressed firmly against her back and doing their best to hide away. She watched everyone quietly, but glanced at the Doctor who took a man's phone. She raised an eyebrow as he started typing into it. But she turned and looked back at the scene before her. About to continue to watch Donna and the man...she didn't have a good feeling about. When…

"Earlier. On the rooftop." The Doctor spoke up suddenly as he looked over the phone. Nightshade turned and looked at him brow furrowed, "you were remembering. But...it wasn't anything you remembered experiencing. Am I wrong?" He asked, glancing up at her briefly. She paused looking at him for a long moment. Before looking away.

"There was a city. I've never seen it before...but when I saw it burning...the shouting and the screaming...it broke my..." paused with a breath, "hearts...it broke my hearts. I've...never seen that city before." She turned and looked at him, "I don't understand. Until I met you I didn't have any memory problems...but now...I feel sick...my head is almost always hurting and I keep hearing screams...seeing the city was a first...but it feels like it won't be the last." she shook her head with a breath, "I don't...I don't understand how I didn't notice that I had two hearts..."

"I take it you never went to the doctor's growing up?" He asked as he looked through the phone. Glancing at her from time to time.

"...no. I went to one doctor...I guess you could call him a doctor...but he was more like a scientist." She took a breath, the useless limbs pressing against her back firmly. "...he never said anything about me having two hearts."

"We'll figure it out okay? And I'll answer questions you have." Normally he didn't like to talk about his past...about Gallifrey. But this was different. If he could help her remember. If he could help her…

Then maybe he wouldn't feel so guilty.

Nightshade only nodded hugging her arms to her.

He turned back to the phone but froze when he spotted the sole proprietor of HC Clements…

Torchwood.

He inhaled sharply and handed the phone back to the man. He caught a bit of the song as he gazed over everyone there, and he couldn't help but stop a moment at the ping in his hearts.

The lyrics uncomfortably reminded him of Rose.

He took another breath trying to reign in his focus, and gladly spotted the cameraman. Relieved he grabbed Nightshade's hand and walked over to him.

When they arrived he glanced back at her when she pulled her hand away, looking uncomfortable.

Okay. Not a hand holder.

He turned to the man, "hey, I wasn't here earlier, would you mind showing me what happened to the bride?" The man turned to him before back to his camera.

"Oh, I taped the whole thing. They've all had a look. They said sell it to You've Been Framed. I said, more like the News. Here we are." The tape began to play, Nightshade leaned closer and watched as well. Donna walked down the aisle only to freeze, glow golden, and burst into golden energy and fly away. Nightshade glanced at the Doctor as he shook his head.

"Can't be...play it again?" He asked, and the man chuckled.

"Clever, mind. Good trick, I'll give her that. I was clapping." He admitted, Nightshade turned and narrowed her eyes at the video with a frown.

"But that looks like Huon Particles." The Doctor shook his head again, the man turned to him brow furrowed.

"What's that then?" But the Doctor shook his head and turned to Nightshade who turned to him.

"That's impossible. That's ancient. Huon energy doesn't exist anymore, not for billions of years. So old that it can't be hidden by a biodamper!" He realized and whipped around and ran outside. Nightshade turned and looked at Donna, knowing she'd just be dizzy if she followed the Doctor.

He ran back inside anyways, and went over to Donna, that's when Nightshade followed.

"Donna! Donna, they've found you." He told her with a breath, Donna turned to face them.

"But you said I was safe." She claimed looking at them confused, Nightshade let out a breath.

"The biodamper doesn't work, now unless you want everyone to die, we need to get them out." She told her bluntly, Donna's eyes widened as she looked around with a breath.

"My God, it's all my family." She breathed, the Doctor grabbed her hand and took off toward the back door.

"Out the back door!" He cried, Nightshade glanced at everyone before following, but she stopped dead a little bit before the Doctor and Donna.

Because the robots were out there as well. The Doctor backed up, Donna following.

"Maybe not." He muttered

Nightshade looked all around, finding the robots in many places, surrounding them and blocking every exit. Before she knew it she felt weight in her hands. She looked down and let out a breath at the sight of her weapon.

"We're trapped." She heard Donna state, and her grip on the weapon tightened at that...and at the sight of the remote in the robot's hand.

"Christmas trees." She heard the Doctor mutter, but Nightshade's eyes were on the Santa robot. Her mind whirling.

"What about them?" Donna asked, her eyes falling on the Christmas trees in the room anxiously.

"They kill-" the second the words left his mouth a gunshot followed. Landing dead center on the robot's forehead, the glass of the window shattered. The robot twitched and sparked before dropping dead. Nightshade heard the screams of people around her, but then she spotted another robot pick up the remote. She raised her gun again, only for it to be snatched from her hands. She whipped around to face the Doctor.

"No guns!" He ordered...angrily.

"Give it back! How do you plan on stopping them?!" She cried reaching for it. But he dropped it in his pocket the weapon disappearing. She growled about to lay into them, when she saw the robot pick up the remote and press the button. The Doctor saw it to.

He turned to the now frightened crowd. "Stay away from the trees!" He shouted, Nightshade's eyes falling onto the decorated trees. The Doctor continued to order the people to stay away from the trees, voice a lot tenser and firmer then before. Luckily the people were frightened enough not to make a fuss. Nightshade let out a breath and started grabbing people and pulling them away, vaguely hearing Donna shout the same as the Doctor. But everyone froze as the trees hummed.

The decorations begun to fly off the tree and float in the air everyone froze, staring transfixed at them.

...only for one to make a loud bang noise. The presents toppled as panic erupted in the room, people went running. Nightshade ducked and dodged them as they went by, a man was thrown up into the air and into the wedding cake. Sufficiently destroying it. Donna and Lance went and hid under a table as people scattered about the room screaming loudly. Nightshade looked all around, before spotting the cutting knife for the cake. She went for it only to freeze as one of the floating ornaments came in front of her.

**A/N: **Some more about Nightshade revealed her. AND more interaction between her and the Doctor!

As of right now I plan on updating weekly, but sometimes if I'm feeling inspired there may be more then one chapter a week.

Anyways, as always I hope you guys liked it and feel free to drop a review!

-Earthian


	7. The Runaway Bride: The Villain

**A/N: Hey! I am alive! Sorry about the sudden absence, it is a mix of procrastination, and me starting up my collage class so...yay! Anyways, sorry about it taking so long but it is here! I made sure to have her active more in this next section of the episode. And this one is _extra_ long...so I hope you enjoy!**

**Now this one delves a bit more into where she comes from and her moral basis and rules about life because of it. There are also some things revealed in this one. AND, the next chapter will be a original one, probably not as long, but it will be the Doctor and Nightshade finally hashing things out. Especially considering what happens at the end of the chapter. **

**As for the reviews...YAY!**

**I was so happy when I saw those! And even when I read them now it makes me so happy that people like her! **

**I'm so glad you guys liked it, and I am so thankful for the people who have including this story on their follows! I'm more settled into my class now and I'm getting a schedule to manage my writing days and my art days, so I hope to give you guys weekly updates, but some episodes do take longer then others, so some updates may be longer then others are. Anyways, I do really appreciate the support and the reviews! **

**DECLAIMER: I do not own Doctor who or any properties associated with it. That belongs to BBC. **

**I do however own Nightshade and the story that goes with her. **

**Please enjoy. **

Nightshade's eyes were locked on it as she froze in place, it was a bomb. It would explode.

She lurched to the side landing on the side of her body, and reached out and grabbed the knife. Her eyes locked on the bomb as it hovered closer to her, the knife wouldn't work, she knew that. She liked having it in her hands though. She reached up and grabbed it from behind keeping her eyes fixed on it. Her gauntlets hummed loudly and she got up and tossed it out the window she had shot, just as she did...

"Oi! Santa! Word of advice. If you're attacking a man with a sonic screwdriver, don't let him near the sound system." The Doctor called with a grin, he jammed the screwdriver into the deck and the resulting noises shook the robots into pieces. Nightshade let out a breath as the rest of the orbs dropped, she looked over everyone as they got up and recovered. She went over to where the Doctor was and took a breath.

He spun around and looked over everyone as well, before turning to her and looking her over. She shifted, "what?"

"No more injuries?" He inquired, and she frowned.

"No. Why do _you_ care?" She grumbled crossing her arms, he paused.

"Because...I don't want you hurt." At that her attention snapped to him, but before she could thoroughly interrogate him, he went over to Donna. Nightshade stared after him with a frown. She took a breath and rubbed the knobs on her mask and with another breath followed after him.

"Look at that. Remote control for the decorations, but there's a second remote control for the robots. They're not scavengers anymore. I think someone's taken possession." He stated, and picked up one of the round objects that Nightshade eyed apprehensively.

"Never mind all that. You're a doctor. People have been hurt." Donna told him coming over, Nightshade frowned and looked at all the people. It was minor injuries. Nothing she would bother anyone about.

Granted she could be dying and not tell anyone.

Not that anyone would care if she died.

She couldn't help the slight chuckle that escaped her, they'd probably have a parade.

"Nah, they wanted you alive. Look." He tossed the round orb at Donna. She caught it with a breath. Clearly with other priorities in mind, and she didn't really want to be holding the item that almost killed them. "They're not active now." He assured, probably thinking that's what her flummoxed expression was about. She let out another breath.

"All I'm saying, you can help." She told him insistently. But he only shook his head and checked his screwdriver.

"Got to think of the bigger picture." Then he blinked, eyes widening, "there's still a signal!" He cried and ran out the room. Donna took a hard breath and turned to Nightshade.

"Can you help me?" She asked, and Nightshade looked over everyone for a moment.

"Everyone will be fine. No one has serious injuries. But," she turned back to her, "you're life is still in danger. We need to get this taken care of first." With that, and without touching the woman, she ushered her out of the room and they both followed the Doctor, Donna seemed reluctant but Nightshade didn't care.

Some woman spoke behind them, asking Donna questions, but Nightshade didn't care to tune in.

She was just lucky they didn't notice the useless limbs on her back.

"There's someone behind this, directing the roboforms." The Doctor told them as they entered, Nightshade looked out in the area they were in. It reminded her of the finer...nicer area of her hometown, where the very slightly more civilized people lived...

She hated those places.

"But why is it me? What have I done?" Donna asked, pulling Nightshade's attention back to the situation.

"If we find the controller, we'll find that out." He scanned the area around them with his screwdriver, and then lit up as he got a reading. "Ooo! It's up there. Something in the sky." At his words Nightshade's gaze lifted upwards, there was nothing in the sky she could see.

But she didn't give much credit to her eyes.

Not anymore.

**~A~**

Vehicles with flashing lights had arrived, people came out of them and were gathering up the injured. Nightshade gazed at them with a frown, eyes squinted slightly.

Why...were these strangers helping with these people's injuries?

"What are those vehicles?" Nightshade questioned turning to Donna. The woman blinked and frowned, turning to her she looked rather confused.

"What vehicles?" The redhead questioned, Nightshade frowned and pointed to the ones with the flashing lights.

"What. Are. Those?" She emphasized each word. Donna frowned following where she was pointing. The redhead laughed a bit.

"Those are ambulances! Don't you know what ambulances are?" At that Nightshade frowned, Donna seemed greatly amused, until she turned and looked at her, she blinked her smile fading. "You...don't know what they are?" Her voice was softer, but the confused tone only made Nightshade cross her arms uncomfortably.

"No. They don't have them where I come from." She responded tersely, Donna frowned further.

"Then who comes when people are injured?" Nightshade turned and looked at the white vehicles with a frown.

"No one. You either treat yourself or you die." With that, she didn't want to discuss it anymore. She went over and joined the Doctor's side. Donna gaped at her for a bit before shaking her head and following.

"I've lost the signal. Donna, we've got to get to your office. HC Clements. I think that's where it all started. Lance! Is it Lance? Lance, can you give me a lift?" The Doctor went over to the flustered Lance, forcing the two women to follow after him.

Luckily, the man agreed.

And for Nightshade the car ride was very uncomfortable.

**~A~**

"To you lot this might just be a locksmiths, but H C Clements was brought up twenty three years ago by the Torchwood Institute." The Doctor explained, Donna and Nightshade followed after the Doctor while Lance hung back away from them but at least sort of by Donna. Nightshade however, didn't particularly like the man.

He acted...familiar, cagey, distancing, she didn't like how familiar he was to how her neighbors had been.

Her neighbors were _not_ good people.

But granted...neither was she.

"Who are they?" Donna questioned pulling Nightshade's attention to her.

"They were behind the battle of Canary Wharf. Cyberman invasion. Skies over London full of Daleks?" The Doctor turned to her curiously, but Nightshade couldn't help but tense at the reminder of those creatures.

They...brought on such terror in her…

It had something to do with her being alien...didn't it?

She took a breath and forced her attention back to the conversation, she didn't want to think about that. She _really_ didn't want to believe that.

But...deep down, she knew it was true.

"Oh, I was in Spain." Donna supplied, and despite not knowing where that was, Nightshade frowned, she presumed it was on this...earth, and well, hadn't the Cybermen been all over the world?

"They had Cybermen in Spain." The Doctor insisted, seeming to agree with Nightshade's unspoken thoughts.

"Scuba diving." Donna countered easily, Nightshade eyed her carefully and the Doctor did the same.

"That big picture, Donna. You keep on missing it." He took a breath and turned to look around. "Torchwood was destroyed, but HC Clements stayed in business. I think someone else came in and took over the operation."

"But what do they want with me?" Donna questioned turning to look at the Doctor fully, Nightshade's gaze flickered over the room around them.

"Somehow you've been dosed with Huon energy. And that's a problem, because Huon energy hasn't existed since the Dark Times. The only place you'd find a Huon particle now is a remnant in the heart of the Tardis. See? That's what happened. Say, that's the Tardis." He picked up a coffee mug, "and that's you." He picked up a pencil as well. "The particles inside you activated. The two sets of particles magnetised and whap." He shook both the mug and the pencil before dropping the pencil into the mug. "You were pulled inside the Tardis." He finished.

"I'm a pencil inside a mug?" Donna concluded a bit blandly. The Doctor nodded, glancing only briefly at Nightshade who winced and lightly touched her head. The sooner he got this all taken care of. The sooner he could address her injuries...and evident amnesia.

He turned back to Donna and nodded, "Yes, you are. 4H. Sums you up. Lance? What was HC Clements working on? Anything top secret? Special operations? Do not enter?" He questioned rapidly, but Lance only shook his head as Nightshade went over to the computer. That was at least something she recognized.

"I don't know, I'm in charge of personnel. I wasn't project manager. Why am I even explaining myself? What the #$$ are we talking about?" He demanded and Nightshade looked over brow furrowing.

He sounded so defensive.

She shook her head and turned back to the computer. She held out her gauntlet and made a peace sign with her two fingers, a compartment opened up at the base of her palm and a small USB plug came out, she grabbed it with her free hand and pulled out the cord. Plugging it into the computer's port she was glad at least some systems were compatible with what she knew. She blinked as a holographic layout of the building appeared before her. She spun it around and zoomed in on certain areas not noticing the Doctor and the others coming over.

"Whoa...how'd you do that?" Donna breathed gazing at the holographic image as Nightshade frowned zooming in on the floor below them.

"Hacking codes, interdimensional ones it seems." She muttered in response before pulling out the plug, it snapped back into that port and she closed her fist, the port slid closed. The holographic 3d image remained. The Doctor gazed at it.

"They make keys, that's the point. And look at this. We're on the third floor." He pointed to the floor they were on that held the four dots there.

**~A~**

"Underneath reception, there's a basement, yes? Then how come when you look on the lift, there's a button marked lower basement? There's a whole floor which doesn't exist on the official plans. So what's down there, then?" The Doctor asked, looking at them all. Lance didn't look impressed.

"Are you telling me this building's got a secret floor?" He questioned blandly, the Doctor turned to face him directly.

"No, I'm showing you this building's got a secret floor." He told him before turning to face the keypad that Nightshade closely examined.

"It needs a key." Donna told him pointing to the little slot for the key, the Doctor held up the screwdriver and smirked, he opened his mouth only for Nightshade to put her hand over the key slot. Everyone paused staring at her, her brow furrowed as she stared at the keypad unmoving.

"Um…Night? We are kinda in a hurr-" but she held up her free hand with her finger up to the Doctor whom had spoken. Donna looked amused and laughed, Lance annoyed and the Doctor confused and startled. There was a brief clicking sound. She removed her hand and from the finger came the replica of the key and inserted into the lock she turned it and they were granted access.

"Look at that! Turns out she does have a key, eh Doctor?" Donna laughed and nudged him the Doctor frowned and grumbled.

"Mine would've been faster."

"Yeah but the whirring noise is irritating as #$$." Nightshade countered and looked at him irate. "And it's killer on a headache." She walked over to the lift doors. Donna followed after, still amused and Lance trailed after her moodily. The Doctor frowned and held up his sonic.

"But I love the whirring noise." He looked up and came over to them. He caught up and stepped in front of the humans. "Right. Well. Thanks, you two. We can handle this. See you later." At that Nightshade frowned.

When the #$$ did it become _we_?

This temporary alliance was lasting a tad uncomfortably long.

"No chance, Martian. You're the man who keeps saving my life. I ain't letting you out of my sight." Donna countered hands on her hips. The Doctor stared at her for a moment before stepping inside the lift. Nightshade followed, and soon as did Donna.

"Going down." The Doctor stated and Donna turned to face Lance and looked at him expectantly.

"Lance?" She questioned, but he took a step back looking nervous.

"Maybe I should go to the police..." he trailed obviously not wanting to go with them. But Donna only raised an eyebrow.

"Inside." She ordered, and her tone left no room for argument. He sighed and stepped inside Nightshade shuffling over so she wasn't caught between people.

The Doctor smirked at him, "to honour and obey?" He teased, and Lance sighed dejectedly, and if not a tad bitter.

"Tell me about it, mate." He sighed again, and Donna whipped on him.

"Oi!" She cried, Nightshade just shook her head and watched the numbers decrease as they went down. Her eyes flickered to the Doctor's pockets. She got the feeling she was going to be needing her guns. But she had no idea where they were in his alien pockets.

At that a slight wave of nausea hit her, she frowned uncomfortably and rubbed her stomach, what the #$$ was wrong with her? Did she need more shots? Probably. She felt around her pockets for one. Only to freeze eyes widening. #$#. She swallowed an uneasy feeling settling over her. If the nausea was the first sign…

Then before long she would barely be able to walk again.

She took a deep breath and her hands curled into fists. No, she used to go almost weeks without the shots. Maybe this was good, getting her off her reliance on it. She hated having to rely on things.

She would be fine.

She was always fine.

**~A~**

The doors slid open to reveal a long hallway lit in an eerie green color. It was dim. But Nightshade found this to be little of a problem, her glasses quickly adjusted to the lighting, providing her with a slightly more advantaged view then her companions.

They soon all stepped out of the lift and looked around, "where are we?" Donna was the first to speak and she turned to look at the Doctor, "well? What goes on down here?" She continued to question.

"Let's find out." He turned to them borderline on both grim and excited. It was an odd combination and it made him catch Nightshade's interest a moment before she shook her head and turned away.

"Do you think Mister Clements knows about this place?" Donna asked pulling Nightshade's attention back to group.  
"The mysterious HC Clements? I think he's part of it. Oh, look. Transport." He stopped in front of segways. Nightshade frowned at them and looked at the Doctor and Donna who seemed to have gotten an idea.

Her brow furrowed further as they went over to them. She stepped closer to take a look, she could probably take it apart and make makeshift weapons. Of course she would do her best to hide them from the Doctor.

She was still extremely irked at the confiscation of her guns.

She loved those guns.

Shaking her head she crouched down and examined one of them running her fingers over the line where two pieces of metal met. It would take some maneuvering. But she could take it apart. She didn't notice her temporary companions getting on the other segways. She only looked up at the Doctor's voice.

"I'm sure they are safe." He told her. She looked up brow furrowed but then frowned at them on the odd transportation vehicles.

"You are riding it?" She asked eyebrow raised. He nodded.

"Yeah! Why walk everywhere when you have something like this!"

"...because people walk. It's what they do." She responded blandly.

"Oh c'mon, you know you want to." He urged and her eyes narrowed, he reminded her so much of...a child.

She sighed and looked around, "fine." She conceded, after all if she was on his good side side there is a high chance he would be more willing to take her home.

...home.

Could she even consider that her home anymore?

If she was alien...then...was her home this...Gallifrey he mentioned? Where was that? Why did she always get a spike of pain in her head at the mention or thought of the name? She didn't even realize she had winced and rubbed her head until…

"Hey...are you alright?" Donna's voice pulled her from the depths of her thoughts. She looked up blinking and her useless limbs folding up behind her tightly at their gazes.

Their..._concerned_ gazes.

Swallowing she got up on the segways. "I'm fine."

The Doctor's gaze lingered a tad longer than the others. But soon they were off.

It took a minute or so before Nightshade figured out how to operate it. She didn't know if she felt...embarrassed or weird doing this.

What was the point really?

She was startled from her thoughts when she heard laughter to her right. She blinked and looked over to find the Doctor and Donna laughing at the absurdity of their choice. Nightshade tilted her head curiously watching them. She looked down at the segway she was in, a odd feeling emerging in her chest. Like a pressure there. She rubbed it confused.

Something hurt…

She was missing something…

But she didn't get the feeling looking at Donna...only the Doctor…

Why...did she feel like she had heard the Doctor laugh like that before…?

...and why the ##$ did it hurt so much?

A sharp pain in the side of her head followed by a terribly nauseating feeling made her swallow and gasp only a little bit, gripping the handles of the segway a bit tighter then before she focused trying to push away the nausea.

Lucky for her no one noticed.

But she was starting to notice...how much worse those spikes of pain were getting to be.

This had something to do with her not being human...didn't it…?

**~A~**

Nightshade looked up from the inner workings of the segway, to see the Doctor go up the ladder, he had already given Donna and Lance a advisory about not leaving or doing anything while he was gone. She shook her head and turned back to the disarrayed segway. She had pretty much started taking it apart the moment she stepped off it. She managed to get the covering off and was fishing through the inner workings for anything useful.

"Donna, have you thought about this? Properly? I mean, this is serious! What the #$% are we going to do?" Lance demanded from behind Nightshade where he stood with Donna. The almost goth looking woman shook her head and continued to pull apart the transportation.

How serious was this? Really? She got transported and has some killer energy in her veins. Yes, of course she could die, and yeah. Fairly serious, but they were still alive. Yeah some wacked out robots dressed as a old man in red were milling around and shooting people.

But she would hardly call this really serious.

Really serious is when you are two weeks past the last time you ate and half your vision is blackened out. Really serious is when your eyes are forced open to look upon a machine powering up-

Nightshade screwed her eyes shut, she took a deep and steadying breath a hand going to her face. She grit her teeth only to gain surges of pain coming from her mouth. She swore under her breath and grabbed at her mask, breathing a bit harder than before. Off...off she just wanted the ##$%# #$%# #$ off!

She almost jumped out of her skin as she flinched violently away from the hand on her shoulder. She jumped and stared at the offender wide eyed.

It was the Doctor.

"What the #$$ was that for?!" She shouted trying to calm her breathing with one hand still hanging onto the mask, she knew she'd get bruises where the mask ended and the skin began.

She always did when she got worked up like that.

The Doctor gazed at her a moment before sitting down across from her wordlessly. She growled and pulled her legs up ready to stand.

"You...can't get it off...can you?" Donna's voice nearly made her jump out of her skin again. She got to her feet panting.

"What the #$$ does it matter?" She growled a tight feeling building up in her chest. She removed her hand from her mask hating how obvious she could be sometimes. "Just leave it be what is going on up the ladder." She demanded _not_ wanting to have this conversation with three strangers. The Doctor was still quiet for a moment as he gazed at her, she shifted under his gaze. "Well?" She snapped her useless limbs pressed tight against her back.

"Thames flood barrier right on top of us. Torchwood snuck in and built this place underneath." He said as he got up, Nightshade held back the deep breath of relief. Donna gazed at her for a bit longer then Nightshade would've liked, but she eventually turned to the Doctor.

"What, there's like a secret base hidden underneath a major London landmark?" She asked, voice softer then it had been before. Nightshade crossed her arms and looked to the side, feeling a burning feeling surging in her.

Why the #$$ did they keep looking at her...like...like they _cared_?

"Oh. I know." The Doctor responded shaking his head as if in actual admittance of the following statement. "Unheard of." He took a breath and looked around spotting a door further down the hall. "Ooh, now that looks interesting. But...shut doors in secret bases built under a major London monument are always interesting." He supplied with a wink, Donna shook her head amused, Lance just sighed, they started forward because of their initial positions Donna and Lance behind the Doctor and Nightshade, but the darkly clothed woman wondered it it had somehow been intentionally done that way or not.

It only further invoked her suspicions when the Doctor walked in pace with her. She frowned, her arms crossed.

"What?" She snapped her eyes straight ahead.

If she was going to get more questions...she didn't #$%# care if this bunch had been nice.

These Torchwood people would be cleaning up bodies.

"How much does it hurt?" he asked, his gaze also fixed ahead. Her attention snapped to him.

"What?" They got to the door and he opened it, and held it open, before looking down at her calmly...almost...softly?

"The stuff in your mouth, the stuff that makes your voice muffled slightly and words vaguely slurred." She stopped not entering yet and gazed at him. She swallowed a bit.

"I don't know what you are talking about." She told him evenly.

"Yeah? Well. Then where is the blood coming from?" He asked, same voice, same gaze. She closed her eyes with a breath and used her hand to wipe away the blood that must be on her neck.

She turned away, "it doesn't hurt. Not anymore, and whatever it is, it doesn't concern you." Then she walked into the lab, hating the eyes she felt on her.

The Doctor gazed at her a moment, taking a breath.

"So, Martian, how long exactly have you known little miss sunshine?" Donna asked, he blinked and looked at her before back at Nightshade who was tapping one of the bubbling beakers.

"Not long actually. We just met." It wasn't a total lie. Just a little fib, a little slight fib.

Because yes he had just met her.

But the more he was around her...the more familiar she felt.

He took a breath and entered the lab and clapped his hands. "Oo, look at this. Stunning!" He exclaimed looking at all the bubbling tubes and beakers.

Donna took a breath before also following, Lance trailing behind them. "What does it do?" She asked, looking at all the items in the room as well.

"It...is a particle extrusion.." Nightshade mumbled looking around at the set up. The Doctor pointed at her.

"Correct." He clasped his hands and frowned looking around before blinking, "hold on. Brilliant. They've been manufacturing Huon particles. Course…" he paused and looked at Nightshade before continuing. "Our people got rid of Huons. They unravel the atomic structure." But she didn't even look over. Only tense ever so slightly. He took a breath and turned back to the two humans.

"Your people? Who are they? What company do you represent?" Lance asked, glancing between him and Nightshade.

"Oh, we're freelancers. But this lot are rebuilding them. They've been using the river. Extruding them through a flat hydrogen base so they've got the end result, Huon particles in liquid form." He explained, Nightshade came over and examined the particles trying to piece things together with her very limited knowledge of any sort of information regarding this.

"And that's what's inside me?" Donna asked a look of fear crossing over her face, Nightshade looked over curiously as the Doctor turned a knob on top of one of the containers. The liquid within it glows golden, and Nightshade's attention is turned to Donna who started glowing as well.

"Oh, my God!" Donna cried looking down at herself. Nightshade came over and examined her.

"Energy...particles...chemicals like this. Need to have something to activate it. Other chemicals...and hormones..." her brow furrowed. "Hormones are just chemicals within the body that makes you feel things. If they were activated intensely enough...it would be a catalyst inside you. They would have to flood your body enough for it to make a difference." She looked up at Donna. "You've been extremely emotional the past day or two, I can only presume it is this wedding thing that is going on. Makes you hormonal enough to activate them...they would reach a point of extremes and activate the particles within you." She looked over the woman before her, the Doctor nodded in agreement.

"Exactly, you're like a walking oven. A pressure cooker, a microwave, all churning away. The particles reach boiling point. Shazam!" His excitement only resulted in a slap in the face. Nightshade raised an eyebrow at that, but the Doctor held his cheek looking at the redhead wide eyed. "What did I do this time?!" He cried, Donna clenched her fists looking both frightened and infuriated.

"Are you enjoying this?" At that the Doctor's face sobered, she took a hard breath and turned to Nightshade. "Right, just tell me. These particles, are they dangerous? Am I safe?"

Nightshade looked at her before down at her gauntlet, she moved her fingers about and things appeared before her, and only visible to her. She paused, gazing them over.

"No." At that Donna's eyes widened, Nightshade looked up at her. "Chemicals like this are not meant to be in the human body. If they remain in you they will overwhelm your system, that's not even considering the ramifications of the teleportation, and the damage it could have on your molecular structure." She paused and closed her fists, diminishing the holographic screens before her.

"So...that's why your people got rid of them...because they are deadly..." Donna trailed softly, actually looking scared. The Doctor came over to her and looked at her earnestly.

"I'll..." he paused and looked at Nightshade who caught his gaze and frowned, she then realized what he was going to say...and her eyes narrowed, daring him to add a we in his statement.

She did not work with people, she would not get roped into this lunatic's life. She had her own problems back home.

And you know what? It was her home, it was her home, and whether she was alien or not, that was her home. No madman in a strange blue boxy spaceship was going to tell her otherwise.

She hated her home, she wanted to burn it to the ground, she wanted everyone in the blasted city to be punished for their wicked ways.

But it was still her home.

Here...she felt so lost, so out of place, all that had greeted her here upon her arrival...had been pain. Pain she did not have an explanation for. Revolutionary things told to her, life changing things, and she didn't know what to make of all of this.

She wanted her guns, she wanted her knives, she wanted the safety of her base.

Nightshade took a deep breath, pulling herself out of her thoughts.

"I'll sort it out, Donna. Whatever's been done to you, I'll reverse it. I am not about to lose someone else." He told her firmly, but the moment was short lived.

"Oh, she is long since lost." A hissing raspy voice called over the speakers around them, Nightshade's attention snapped to their surroundings and the others soon followed. But their attention was pulled to the wall before them that slid up to reveal a tiered hole descending into the earth. Nightshade took a step back, eyes narrowing. "I have waited so long, hibernating at the edge of the universe until the secret heart was uncovered and called out to waken!" The female raspy voice called, Nightshade's brow furrowed, but her attention snapped to Lance as he took off running. She frowned deeper, and started after him only for robots clothed in black robes to come out of the shadows and surround them, pointing their guns at them. Nightshade swore under her breath and backed up, not noticing Donna and the Doctor do the same till they were all back to back. Nightshade's eyes widened and she inhaled sharply feeling them against her useless limbs. Her first instinct was to lurch away, but she resisted it. Any sudden moves would cause the guards to lash out against them.

And by the weak feeling that was starting to overtake her legs, she didn't know how fast she could dodge a bullet.

#$% she _hated_ this stupid universe.

**~A~**

They were being prompted forward by the robots with the guns. Nightshade was tense, hands clenched into fists, but she was held in place by the Doctor's hand around her wrist.

Oh she wanted to kill him.

And a few moments earlier, she almost had done just that.

When the guards had initially prompted them forward, she had pulled out the platform piece that she had taken from the segway and broken into a sharper piece. She was going to use it to attack the guards, but the Doctor had grabbed her shoulder and opened his mouth to tell her no, a serious look in his eye. But that only earned him a swift punch in the sternum and a growl on her part ripping her shoulder from his grip. He gasped for breath as the air was knocked out of him and rasped that there were too many of them. She had wanted to prove him wrong, after all she had taken down more people than this, with a lot deadlier weapons at their disposal. But he only gasped and pointed to her useless limb...the injured one. The one she had been trying to ignore and push out of her mind, but continually gave a stinging burn when it moved. Her eyes narrowed and she about ready flung profanities at him. But Donna whispered from next to them that maybe they would lead them to where they needed to go to stop this currently bodiless voice. Nightshade's hands curled into fists and she was about ready to shout that she didn't #$% how they wanted to do things…

When the Doctor grabbed her wrist, she had whipped on him eyes alite with rage. Only to freeze at the concern in his eyes.

"If you try and fight them in your condition...then you may make it out alive, but you will definitely end up with many, many more injuries that could be permanently damaging. Let us take care of this together, then no one can get hurt anymore."

His words still burned in her head, but not as searingly as she would imagine.

She didn't know why she had stopped, why she didn't yell at him and yank her arm away...she didn't know _why_ she still let him hold her wrist. Why she still tolerated it.

She hadn't a clue how he had managed to calm the raging flames inside of her.

Yet here she was, being prompted along with the Doctor and Donna, the threat of immediate execution hanging over their heads. Here she was with the Doctor's hand around her wrist. She took deep breaths looking ahead and trying to ignore the robots behind them.

She also didn't know why she wasn't angrier with him.

"Someone's been digging. Oh, very Torchwood. Drilled by laser. How far down does it go?" The Doctor called looking around at the tunnel they walked down.

"Down and down, all the way to the centre of the Earth!" The raspy female voice called over the speakers. Nightshade's brow furrowed, how the #$% did it go all the way down? Did this version of earth not have a molten core?

"Really? Seriously? What for?" The Doctor questioned brow furrowed, Nightshade's brow followed as she tried to find a reason. There were many, but what would a evil lady want with the centre of the planet?

"Dinosaurs."

"Dragons."

Both Nightshade and Donna concluded at the same time causing them to look at each other and the Doctor to stare at them confused.

"What?" He questioned, bemused.

"Dinosaurs?" Donna questioned sounding less certain than before. Nightshade looked at her brow furrowed.

"Is that what you call dragons here?" She questioned, that was such an odd name for them.

"What are you two going on dragons and dinosaurs for?" The Doctor questioned, very confused.

"That film, Under the Earth, with dinosaurs. Trying to help." Donna supplied, almost defensively, but the Doctor shook his head.

"That's not helping." Then he turned to Nightshade, "and...um, see a film about dragons then?" But Nightshade looked at him blankly.

"What's a film?" he opened his mouth with a blink, but she continued with a breath turning away. "At the centre of my planet it's a molten core, scientists have theorized that's where the fire dragons breed. They are a often occurrence among the less populated regions, but as of late some of the older and stronger ones have been destroying skyscrapers as a feat of strength, or what we theorize is a way to prove themselves as alpha over the human population." But then she smirked, a darker look overtaking her brown eyes, "but suffice it to say, there are now a lot more dragon corpses as of late as well." She turned and looked at the Doctor and Donna who were staring at her. "I presume this earth doesn't have dragons then?" She questioned seeing their confused looks.

"You have _dragons_?" Donna questioned shocked, "actual living, breathing, stuff of myth and legend _dragons?_ Where you come from!?" At the question Nightshade nodded easily.

"Yes, I've seen about twenty in my lifetime, traditionally fire dragons, but occasionally there are some shadow and earth ones as well. I think once I met a shapeshifter." She added with a tilt of her head. Donna shook her head with a breath.

"You have actual #$%#$& dragons and you _kill_ them?" Donna asked, a bit of anger rising in her voice, Nightshade looked at her blankly.

"We kill whatever is threatening us. Not just dragons. How is it any different from you killing a bug or animal that can harm you or your home?" She questioned with a raised eyebrow. Donna paused unable to respond, but the Doctor was looking ahead now as they continued to walk.

"There are other ways to resolve problems without killing someone." He responded tersely, Nightshade turned and looked at him.

"Maybe, but sometimes it is the only option left. To kill, or be killed." Then she turned to look ahead.

Oddly enough...he still hadn't let go of her wrist.

But at this point she figured it was because he didn't want her to do anything drastic. Not that she had thought it was anything else in the first place.

He couldn't tell how shaky her walk and legs were becoming...could he?

"Such an interesting bunch you are." The voice told them amused, also revealing that she had been listening this whole time.

The Doctor took a deep breath, clearly glad they could talk about something else, "Only a madman talks to thin air and trust me, you don't want to make me mad. Where are you?" He called looking around as if he could see her.

"High in the sky. Floating so high on Christmas night." She called, Nightshade rolled her eyes at the wording. This woman was just as annoying as some of the female warlords back home.

"I didn't come all this way to talk on the intercom. Come on, let's have a look at you!" The Doctor called, not having any of it. They were standing before a ginormous hole in the ground they went on for who knows how long.

"Who are you with such command?" the voice hissed, clearly annoyed and amused at the same time.

"I'm the Doctor." He responded easily, but with a heavy threat behind his voice. Clearly it was far more than just a title.

"Prepare your best medicines, doctor man, for you will be sick at heart." With that before them, above the hole, and suspended upon a very large and messy web that had...several lumps that made Nightshade suspicious, a...clearly alien, spider like woman appeared, on her head instead of hair was almost a crown shape thing with many eyes, she was red of varying shades, her upper half was humanoid, while her lower half was a complete spider body, her humanoid portion connecting to where a normal spider's head would be, She was easily nine to ten feet in height and probably eight feet in length. Nightshade's eyes flickered over her trying to find a weak spot.

"Why? Cause your ugly?" She questioned with a raised eyebrow, she received a hiss and glare from the spider woman, but she just looked at her the same.

"Racnoss? But that's impossible. You're one of the Racnoss?" The Doctor questioned ignoring Nightshade's comment, he looked both astounded and very confused.

"Empress of the Racnoss." She told him almost smugly, Nightshade rolled her eyes, not only was she hideous and annoying.

She of course was some sort of royalty as well.

Swell, just swell.

"If you're the Empress, where's the rest of the Racnoss? Or, are you the only one?" The Doctor questioned his brow furrowed.

"Such a sharp mind." The Empress almost purred, with a smile.

"That's it, the last of your kind. The Racnoss come from the Dark Times, billions of years ago. Billions. They were carnivores, omnivores. They devoured whole planets." Nightshade's brow furrowed a bit but she shook her head.

Different universe.

"Racnoss are born starving. Is that our fault?" The Empress questioned almost defensively.

"They...eat people?" Donna breathed wide eyed between the Doctor and Nightshade.

Hmph, they weren't very different from dragons now were they?

"HC Clements, did he wear those, those er, black and white shoes?" The Doctor questioned looking up at the ceiling where the web resided, and where the Empress herself was upon, she was coming down, closer to them, it wasn't long before she was only slightly above them. Gazing at them with a hungry and malicious look in her eyes that reminded Nightshade a bit uncomfortably of male vampires when they looked at her.

Hence why she always wore very high collared shirts, vampires hated having to get through fabric.

Pulling her from her thoughts was Donna's slightly relieved voice, "He did. We used to laugh. We used to call him the fat cat in spats." Donna remarked with a bit of a smile, relieved to be talking about lighter times.

Only for it to go so dark so fast as the Doctor pointed up at the black and white shoes that were only just visible from out of the mess of white webs.

"Oh, my God!" Donna cried hands going to her mouth clearly horrified by these turn of events.

"Mmm. My Christmas dinner." The Empress purred gazing up at the bound and likely dead man above her as well.

The Doctor shook his head, "You shouldn't even exist. Way back in history, the fledgling Empires went to war against the Racnoss they were wiped out." He insisted, his brow furrowed.

Nightshade's eyes flickered to Lance, who was high up on a balcony with an axe in hand, but Nightshade's eyes narrowed as he made a shushing gesture.

In no way shape or form was this man brave enough to kill someone so brutally with an axe.

Something was very wrong here.

Nightshade's eyes flickered to Donna and frowned as she saw her getting excited.

Her eyes widened when the redhead spoke next.

"But what I've got inside me, that Huon energy thing." She started but the Empress started to turn to look behind her, Nightshade realized she was trying to distract her and give Lance a chance, but she also knew it would be futile. "Oi! Look at me, lady, I'm talking. Where do I fit in? How comes I get all stacked up with these Huon particles?" The Empress was uninterested and started looking away once more, but Donna wasn't having it. "Look at me, you! Look me in the eye and tell me." Finally the Racnoss looked at her and smirked fangs fully bared to them.

"The bride is so feisty." She looked so very amused. Nightshade crossed her arms and watched Lance move...oh so slow and she couldn't help but roll her eyes. She didn't know what he was planning on doing, but she did know he had no intention of actually killing her.

"Yes, I am! And I don't know what you are, you big thing, but a spider's just a spider and an axe is an axe! Now, do it!" She called encouragingly toward her fiance as he raised his axe and started to swing it, the Empress realizing it turned and hissed at him, only for him to freeze and start laughing. The Empress soon followed. Nightshade's eyes narrowed.

This is why she hated people with a venomous passion.

"That was a good one." Lance chuckled as the laughter died down, he smirked at Donna and couldn't help but laugh again. "Your face!"

"Lance is funny." The Empress called with a smile, Nightshade's eyes flickered to Donna, only to feel a strange pang inside of her at the confusion in her eyes and on her face, Nightshade frowned and looked away.

"What?" Donna called her brow furrowed deeply, but Nightshade could see her shaking slightly from the corner of her eyes.

"I'm sorry..." the Doctor called softly having come to the same conclusion as Nightshade had.

Lance had lied to Donna this whole time.

"Sorry for what?" She asked looking at the Doctor before turning back to Lance, "Lance, don't be so stupid! Get her!" She tried, and Nightshade found herself having a strange urge to say something or do something to...comfort her.

What the #$%% was this reality doing to her?

Lance shook his head with a scoff, "She is so thick, Months I've had to put up with her. Months. A woman who can't even point to Germany on a map." he grumbled. Nightshade took a breath her hand twitching as the urge to have her gun in it only grew. But Donna only shook her head and her brow furrowed, she was trembling faintly.

"I don't understand." She whispered her voice a lot softer.

"How did you meet him?" The Doctor asked gently, Donna turned to him, her brow furrowed.

"In the office." She responded, still looking confused.

"He made you coffee." The Doctor continued patiently, but Donna shook her head not seeing the connection.

"What?" Lance rolled his eyes clearly annoyed with her and glad to finally be able to show it.

"Every day, I made you coffee." Lance told her trying to get it across in a much less patient tone. Nightshade was looking around at all the robots, lucky for her, the glasses had finally started adjusting to this reality and was giving her information it knew while also gathering new information.

"You had to be dosed with liquid particles over six months." The Doctor softly said, pulling Nightshade's attention back to the situation.

Donna's eyes widened as it dawned upon her, "He was poisoning me." She breathed with her shoulders slumping.

The Doctor turned and glared at Lance, Nightshade however was staring at Donna, she paused a moment, her hand lifting, to do what...she didn't know, and she would never know.

"It was all there in the job title. The Head of Human Resources." The Doctor concluded bitterly, but at him speaking her hand went back down to her side, she still had him holding onto her wrist...for _some_ reason, she didn't need to be touching someone else.

"This time, it's personnel." Lance spat, and Nightshade rolled her eyes, she really didn't like this guy.

"But, we were getting married." Donna whispered looking up at Lance a swarm of emotions on her face, Nightshade looked at her, her tense face softening ever so slightly. In all the time she had seen Donna…

She had never looked so sad.

Nightshade frowned and turned away, uncomfortable with the unfamiliar feelings in her.

"Well, I couldn't risk you running off. I had to say yes. And then I was stuck with a woman who thinks the height of excitement is a new flavour Pringle. Oh, I had to sit there and listen to all that yap yap yap. Oh, Brad and Angelina. Is Posh pregnant? X Factor, Atkins Diet, Feng Shui, split ends, text me, text me, text me. Dear God, the never ending fountain of fat, stupid trivia. I deserve a medal." Lance spat as he whined like an idiot child. Nightshade tensed, her eyes darkening. The Doctor opened his mouth but Nightshade cut him off.

"Oh shut the _ #$$_ up. You piece of _#$$%_." She hissed and looked up at him, "you whining imbecile of a child in a man's body. For _#$$%_ sake. You are completely _unbearable_ to listen to." She spat, "you deserve a _medal?_ No, you deserve _#%$$. _I hate people like you, you are _awful_ and disgusting. The #%$ I wouldn't have given to be able to have someone care enough to acknowledge me. This woman was very obviously in love with you and was frantic to get back to you on her wedding day. But you are disgusting and don't even care." Everyone stared at her a moment, Lance almost looked a tad uncomfortable.

"Exactly." The Doctor agreed, breaking the silence. "So, what did she offer you? What are you, her consort?" The Doctor demanded and Nightshade made a face at the thought.

"It's better than a night with her." Lance countered and Nightshade let out a hard breath.

"But...I love you." Donna told him and Nightshade looked over to her, getting that pang again at the hurt on Donna's face. This time however, the pang was followed by a sharp pain in her head, she hissed and held it in one of her hands. This was happening far too often for very confusing reasons. The Doctor glanced at her and tightened his grip on her wrist...before moving down and taking her hand squeezing it gently. She tensed and her eyes flickered down to their now conjoined hands. She couldn't break her gaze, or find it in her to pull away.

It's because she was exhausted, that's all.

"That's what made it easy. It's like you said, Doctor. The big picture. What's the point of it all if the human race is nothing? That's what the Empress can give me. The chance to go out there. To see it. The size of it all. I think you understand that, don't you, Doctor?" He asked the man directly, Nightshade rolled her eyes.

"Who is this little physician and his foul mouthed lady friend?" The Empress asked, speaking up for the first time in awhile.

"She said they were Martian." Lance supplied but the Doctor shook his head.

"Oh, we're sort of homeless. But the point is, what's down here? The Racnoss are extinct. What's going to help you four thousand miles down? That's just the molten core of the Earth, isn't it?" But at that Nightshade's attention snapped to him.

Why did he keep grouping her with him?!

"I think he wants us to talk." Lance told the Empress looking thoughtful, the Empress nodded.

"I think so too." She agreed and Lance turned back to face them.

"Well, tough! All we need is Donna." Lance told them sharply.

"Kill this chattering little doctor man and his foul lady friend." The Empress ordered, and instinctively Nightshade tensed and grabbed the Doctor's hand in return. Squeezing it a little bit tighter...then she should have.

She was a little bitter okay?

And she was a little too satisfied at the slight wince from him at her grip.

Yeah. Well if she had her guns then they wouldn't be having a problem right now and everyone would be dead, and they would be able to walk away fine.

But no. Because violence was wrong apparently.

"Don't you hurt them!" Donna cried stepping in front of them both. Nightshade blinked in surprise inevitably loosening her grip on the Doctor's hand, he relaxed only slightly because of it.

"No, no, Donna. It's all right." He assured her, but Donna shook her head still standing in front of them.

"No. I won't let them." Her voice was determined but it wobbled. Nightshade frowned at her back.

Why…?

"At arms!" The Empress called and all the robots pointed their guns at the Doctor and Nightshade. Nightshade tensed all over again.

"Ah, now. Except." The Doctor called to them, attracting Nightshade's attention to him, if he had a plan. She was all ears.

Sure, she knew she was going to die.

But when she did, she would die with her guns in her hands after making everyone pay for what they had done.

"Take aim!" The Empress cried in response, the clicking sounds of them moving and aiming filled their ears.

"Well, I just want to point out the obvious." The Doctor attempted again causing Nightshade's brow to furrow trying to figure out if he was just stalling or something else. He caught her gaze and winked at her, she blinked pulling her head back slightly in surprise.

"They won't hit the bride. They're such very good shots." The Empress assured while also bragging, though, really it was only assuring for Donna.

Nightshade herself didn't feel very assured.

"Just, just, just, just, just hold on. Hold on just a tick. Just a tiny little, just a little tick. If you think about it, the particles activated in Donna and drew her inside my spaceship. So reverse it, and the spaceship comes to her." Nightshade's eyes widened as she realized what he was doing, he turned and turned the knob on a huon container. She heard the Empress give the order to fire at them, but she was more interested in the sight of the Tardis materializing around them, her eyes widened in something vaguely akin to amazement. The Doctor saw it and smirked. It was only when the Tardis finally materialized around them that he finally released her hand, she blinked and pulled out of her amazement and down at her hand.

Why did it feel cold all the sudden?

The Doctor rushed over to the console and started flicking levers and switches, his hand feeling oddly cold.

He would be lying if he said he hadn't enjoyed holding her hand.

He had finally _felt_ her presence.

And it had been the best he had felt in a very long time.

He would figure this out, figure out why she didn't remember, figure out why that mask was on her, and he would figure out if his suspicions were true.

She had _felt_ so incredibly familiar it had hurt.

But, time was of the essence, he had to figure out what happened that allowed the Racnoss to survive and how to stop her from consuming the whole of humanity.

So your average Monday then,

"Off we go!" He called and flicked a switch the familiar wheezing sound filed their ears. Nightshade went over and leaned against the railing, she was tired….and for the first time in a very long time, she felt very hungry. She let out a breath and leaned against the railing heavily. "Oh, do you know what I said before about time machines? Well, I lied. And now we're going to use it. We need to find out what the Empress of the Racnoss is digging up. If something's buried at the planet's core, it must've been there since the beginning. That's just brilliant. Molto bene. I've always wanted to see this. Donna, Nighty, we're going further back than I've ever been before." At the nickname Nightshade frowned, but she was far too tired to protest. Her gaze drifted to Donna only to find her completely dejected, at that her brow furrowed deeply. The Doctor seemed to notice as well as when he spoke his voice was softer.

"We've arrived. Want to see?" He asked, but Donna only shrugged slightly.

"I suppose." She muttered not at all looking interested. She came over to the monitor to get a look.

"Oh, that scanner's a bit small. Maybe your way's best." The Doctor told her gently and went over to the Tardis doors. But she doesn't make a move to follow. The Doctor saw, and turned to her, "Come on. No human's ever seen this. You'll be the first." He urged gently.

"All I want to see is my bed." She muttered before coming over quietly. The Doctor smiled and opened the door.

"Donna Noble, welcome to the creation of the Earth." He told her, and Nightshade probably would've gone over. But a wave of nausea forced her attention to her feet as she took deep breaths to calm whatever was going on with her body.

This was getting ridiculous, was this an indicator that...she was dying? Her existence was finally coming to an end? All the damage to her body was taking its toll? She leaned heavily against the bars taking deep breaths. Donna and the Doctor were talking about something but she could hardly pay attention.

"...they didn't just bury something at the centre of the Earth. They became the centre of the Earth. The first rock." The Doctor's words attracted her attention, she looked up, gladly the nausea had passed.

Well that was until a bang resounded about them. The wave of nausea returned and Nightshade couldn't help but bitterly wonder how the #$% she was supposed to throw up.

"What was that?" Donna called looking around them concerned. The Doctor shut the doors of the Tardis and came back over Donna picking up her long wedding dress skirt to follow him.

"Trouble." That was all he responded, but that was clearly enough. The Tardis seemed to agree as it started jolting and jerking around, not at all helping Nightshade's condition.

She dropped to her knees clinging to the bars needing to grab onto something stable. Donna was the first to spot her and ran over best she could. If Nightshade had more energy she would've hissed at her as the woman placed hands on her shoulders.

"Hey, easy, everything is going to be okay, deep breaths." She assured, and Nightshade wanted to yell. But mostly to be rid of the confused feelings inside her. Donna turned to where the Doctor was at the console trying to pilot. "Doctor! I think something is wrong!" She called, and he looked up and his eyes widened.

"Nightshade? What's wrong?" He called looking over the best he could.

"It's fine! Keep #$%# working!" She yelled trying to get him to remain focused. If he got the ship piloted, then she would be fine.

"Right!" He called working more frantic than before.

"What the #$%$ _is_ going on!?" Donna called angrily as she held Nightshade, oddly enough providing her with some stability.

"Remember that little trick of mine, particles pulling particles. Well, it works in reverse. They're pulling us back!" He cried as he raced around the console.

"Well, can't you stop it? Hasn't it got a handbrake? Can't you reverse or warp or beam or something?" Donna tried holding onto Nightshade, trying to keep her steady as Nightshade felt waves of nausea hit her repeatedly.

"Backseat driver. Oh! Wait a minute! The extrapolator!" He cried and reached down and pulled something out that looked akin to a surf board. "It can't stop us, but it should give us a good bump!"

**~A~**

The Tardis began to materialize, likely in the same location as before but the Doctor jumped up from where he had been behind the console.

"Now!" He cried, and the Tardis begin to make the wheezing sound again and through the pain of her head and the slowing waves of nausea Nightshade reasoned they were disappearing again.

**~A~**

Nightshade looked up as the Doctor came up in front of her. He crouched before her.

"Are you able to walk?" He asked gently and Nightshade grabbed the bars tighter forcing herself up to her feet.

" #$% of course I can." She stumbled pushing herself up. "Let's just get this over with."

The Doctor took a breath, but he nodded to Donna and she got up as well. The Doctor came over and took her hand. He knew he could at least do that. She tensed but didn't pull away.

They exited the Tardis and entered a dark corridor. Nightshade leaned heavily on the Doctor. She felt weak, but the stable ground was helping.

"We're about two hundred yards to the right. Come on." He urged gently he helped Nightshade along, and Donna followed. They were at a quick pace and Nightshade began to get their bearings able to walk better on her own and their pace quickened again.

"But what do we do?" Donna panted as she did her best to keep up with them.

"I don't know. I make it up as I go along. But trust me, I've got a history." He assured, he pulled out a stethoscope on the door labeled Torchwood, Nightshade forced herself to stand on her own a bit more. She hated how weak she was being.

"But I still don't understand. I'm full of particles, but what for?" Donna questioned looking at the Doctor.

"There's a Racnoss web at the centre of the Earth, but our people unravelled their power source. The Huon particles ceased to exist but the Racnoss were stuck." The Doctor explained as he turned to focus on getting the door opened. "They've just taken hibernation for billions of years. Frozen, dead, kaput. So you're the new key. Brand new particles, living particles! They need you to open it...and you have never been so quiet." Nightshade looked up as the Doctor turned around.

Only for both of them to find the lack of Donna before them.

"Well… ##$% ." Nightshade muttered, she finally got herself to stand on her own and let out a breath, she turned to the Doctor. "I need my guns." But the Doctor shook his head, "no, traveling with me means no weapons." That only made Nightshade's eyes narrow.

"I am only traveling with you so I can get back home! Something that should've happened before this whole situation!" She let out a hard breath, not noticing their hands still conjoined. "Then you...told me things, told me I wasn't human, that I'm from some planet that...that...I don't even know! I'm exhausted and all my shots are gone! I don't know you! Stop trying to control me! Donna is in danger, and we wouldn't still be in this situation if you had just let me do what I'm good at! Donna would be safe at home!" She took hard breaths trying to ignore the light headed feeling she was being hit with repeatedly.

"...taking a life, Nightshade...it's like poison. Once you start...you can't stop." He told her softly, but she closed her eyes and took a hard breath.

"You know what is also poison? What also eats you up and destroys you inside and out?" she looked up at him, eyes dark, "sitting there, unable to stop people from beating you to the very edge of life." She held out a hand, gazing right into his eyes, "give me my guns. I will not be asking again, I am not someone you can control. And it is _far_ too late to try and change me." The Doctor stared at her unmoving, and she did the same.

Finally he reached into his pocket and pulled out the weapons. He placed them in her hand and she visibly relaxed in relief. And as she was putting them in their proper places, he gently squeezed her hand.

"Nightshade...it's never too late." He said earnestly, her head snapped up, eyes narrowed. But he was already sonicing the door to open it. She glared a moment before turning away.

Only to whip back around as he jumped back, at the sight of a robot she whipped out her gun and pulled her hand away from his, she hit the butt of the gun's handle and a sharp silver blade shot out from where the nozzle was, she stabbed it into the side of its head and pulled down reaching back behind it, her gauntlet hummed and located the main components, she ripped it out of its skull and then pulled her gun and hand out before kicking it to the ground. She panted a bit, while also irritated that it had taken longer then normal. The Doctor stared on blinking, she looked up at him and her eyes narrowed.

"What? Mad I killed the machine?" she stepped over to it's head and looked at the components in her hand, he came over and crouched across from her on the other side. She looked down at him and raised an eyebrow, half expecting a scolding,

"I think I have a plan." Was all he said, she blinked a bit in surprise before taking a breath and crouching down across from him as well.

"Okay. Shoot." She paused at the look from him and she rolled her eyes, "what, you don't have that phrase here?"

**~A~**

Was it bad that the sound of Lance's scream of terror filled Nightshade with a dark pleasure?

Perhaps.

But she didn't really give a #$%.

She watched his form descend into the hole, her useless limbs twitched but she didn't move.

"Lance!" Donna panicked from where she was suspended above the giant hole. She was only slightly above the hidden Nightshade, she watched carefully as the Empress gloated about her victory.

"Harvest the humans! Reduce them to meat." She cried looking ecstatic at her success. "My children are climbing towards me and none shall stop them." She cried, throwing out her arms and reveling in the whole situation.

Nightshade's eyes flickered over to the stairs on the platform below her as the Doctor walked up them. It was the same robot that Nightshade had destroyed, and had some cracks in the mask, but it should pass for as long as they needed.

"So you might as well unmask, my clever little doctor man."

...or not.

The Empress looked down at him, almost amused at his attempts, he shrugged removing the mask and robe. "Oh well. Nice try." he turned to Donna, "alright Donna, this is gonna take a little bit of trust." He lifted his sonic, and sonicked the web, causing the membranes to fracture and break. Donna's eyes widened as the web holding her started to give way.

"I'm going to fall!" She cried, and the Doctor nodded with a shrug.

"Well yes, that's where the trust comes in."

Donna felt the web give way and screamed, "Doctor!" she started to plummet toward the hole in the ground and Nightshade sprang from her hiding spot.

She ran to the edge and jumped off her useless limbs spreading out and folding back at an angle, she dove down and caught up with Donna, she grabbed onto her arm and her wings spread, slowing their fall, but then started to rapidly beat and cause them to rise. The gushing sound of the wind pounded at her ears as she brought them both over to the platform with the Doctor, she gasped when she placed Donna down and dropped to the ground with a hard breath, her knees giving way as she panted for breath, hand to her chest. Donna looked up with a huge gasp and looked at her wide eyed as her very large black bird-like wings folded up behind her back again. She shook with the exertion and panted hard.

"Y...you..." She gasped, but the Doctor helped Donna to her feet.

"Not the time Donna." He told her, and Nightshade forced herself to her feet stumbling a bit over to the railing as she gripped it hard.

Donna forced herself to look away from her back and to the Racnoss Empress before them.

"The Doctor man and his foul lady friend amuse me." She told them with a malicious sort of smile. The Doctor took a breath looking at her once more.

"Empress of the Racnoss, I give you one last chance. I can find you a planet. I can find you and your children a place in the universe to co-exist. Take that offer and end this now." He told her earnestly, truly hoping it wouldn't come down to the other solution he feared.

"These men are so funny." She continued and didn't at all look interested in his offer, Nightshade's eyes narrowed and she looked at his pockets. Oh, he had told her his plan, as he watched the Racnoss she went over, and pulling on her childhood exploits she reached into his pocket, not looking at him so he didn't feel her eyes on him, she had to be very careful, and she was just lucky they were a recent item put into his endless pockets. She pulled out several and used one of her wings to cup the little bombs. Hiding them in the fold of the wing pressed against her back for now.

"What's your answer?" Nightshade couldn't help but smirk at that.

Still had it.

"Oh, I'm afraid I have to decline." She told him with a smile as she leant forward looking terribly amused. The Doctor sighed, clearly disappointed by her choice.

"What happens next is your own doing." He told her, a darker note creeping into his tone.

"I'll show you what happens next. At arms! Take aim!" She cried, finally seeming to get frustrated with them.

The robots started to do just that, Nightshade's hands went to her guns, she knew he had a plan...but she wasn't sure it would work.

"Relax." The Doctor ordered, and only when the robots slumped over did Nightshade relax as well. Donna blinked and looked at him.

"What did you do?" The Doctor turned and smirked at her at the question.

"Guess what I've got, Donna?" he smirked and held up the control remote. "Pockets." Donna laughed at that bemused.

"How did that fit in there?" Her eyes went down to his pockets that obviously couldn't fit a remote of that size without it being obvious.

"They're bigger on the inside." He told her almost smugly, but their attention was soon drawn back to the spider woman.

"Roboforms are not necessary. My children may feast on Martian flesh." She hissed growing more angry as things went on.

"Oh, but I'm not from Mars." He stated, Nightshade's head snapped up, she had been ready to hear a we in there.

He caught her gaze and offered a small smile before turning back to the Racnoss. Her brow furrowed.

Why was this man so confusing?

"Then where?" The Empress asked, her eyes narrowing.

"My home planet is far away and long since gone. But its name lives on. Gallifrey." He told her, and Nightshade tensed, and she didn't know why, but at his words, an odd pit formed inside of her.

"They murdered the Racnoss!" She cried infuriated. Nightshade's eyes went to the remote and her hand twitched, fingers moving as she activated her gauntlet, luckily she had been able to hold the remote…

"I warned you. You did this." the Doctor told her, he reached into his pocket, only to freeze. His eyes widened and he looked down at it, and then he froze and looked at Nightshade who had the round Christmas decorations floating midair above her hands. His eyes widened. "What are you doing?!" He cried and tried to use the remote only for it to spark and hiss dropping to the ground. She turned and chuckled.

"Doctor's aren't murders you know. Villains are." then she closed both hands into fists, the decorations flew at different target points in the space they were in. Two of them hit the wall and blow up, letting the Thames in, the others surround the Empress and begin to explode. Nightshade was watching with a dark sort of smirk, and fire lighting her eyes as bursts of flames began to erupt around them all. Soon the manholes were far too pressurized and burst, letting in more water and flooding the tunnel below them. Screams of clearly alien creatures burst from the depths. Nightshade didn't flinch, the Doctor looked around grim, but made no move to stop her.

In a way...he felt...very relieved.

"No! No! My children! No! My children! My children!" The Empress screamed, distraught, Nightshade remained unmoving, a dark sort of fire in her eyes as she watched the flames with a sense of manic pleasure as they burst, and as destruction occurred around them.

Donna however looked around at all the destruction horrified, she turned to them, and flinched back at the look in Nightshade's eyes, she turned to the Doctor, actually feeling...scared.

"Doctor! You can stop her now!" She hoped it would be enough to snap him out of whatever place had gone to, he jumped and looked at her and then at Nightshade.

"My children!" The Empress cried, and Nightshade tilted her head and chuckled ever so slightly.

"You #$%. Burn in #$$."

"Nightshade!" The Doctor called as he lurched forward, he grabbed her gun that she had raised. She jumped and whipped on him with a snarl. "That's enough." He told her firmly, she growled and her wings flared out behind her, she adjusted her footing ready to fight back, when she felt a hand on her arm.

"Nightshade...please." Donna told her earnestly, she froze and looked at her blinking as reality came back to her face. She looked around, she didn't look guilty or horrified, just grim.

"Right. The smoke can be toxic." She muttered, taking hard breaths. The Doctor looked at her a moment before addressing them both.

"Come on. Time I got you out."

Drenched in water, they went up the stairs, due to the exertion, the Doctor stayed back to make sure Nightshade made it up fine. He held her arm as she stared at the steps as they went up.

"We are having a talk later." He told her without looking at her. She looked up at him, her eyes narrowing slightly.

"I wasn't lying, Doctor." She looked ahead, "I'm not a good guy."

**~A~**

They were climbing up the later, the Doctor up in front of them both Nightshade at the bottom of the trio having to take a few breaks every once in awhile.

"But what about the Empress?" Donna called, they had all heard her cry teleport as they left. She had escaped, that at least they knew.

The Doctor turned and looked down at her. "She's used up all her Huon energy. She's defenceless!"

Soon they were all out of the tunnels and standing in the open air, Nightshade was sitting down taking deep breaths, Donna and the Doctor looked around, and Donna let out a breath.

"Just...there's one problem." She told them speaking up after the brief interval of silence. Both the Doctor and Nightshade looked at her.

"What is that?" the Doctor questioned confused.

Donna motioned around, "We've drained the Thames." At her statement they both looked around, the Doctor started laughing as well as Donna, Nightshade watched for a second before shaking her head and chuckling slightly. After a few moments the laughter died down as the seriousness of everything settled over them. Donna's gaze drifted over to Nightshade and she paused, remembering that terrifying look in her eyes, Nightshade felt her gaze and looked over her eyes narrowing slightly as Donna looked away quickly.

A dry amused feeling pulsated through her.

There it was.

The fear.

**~A~**

Nightshade was really exhausted by this point, she didn't care that the Doctor and Donna stepped out without a word, she sat in the captain's chair curled up best she could. The pain had returned shortly after they entered the Tardis, that along with the nausea and exhaustion was too intense to give her any determination to move.

Outside the Tardis that was parked across the road from where the Doctor and Donna spoke…

"There we go. Told you she'd be alright. She can survive anything." He nodded back to his Tardis proudly, Donna let out a breath.

"More than I've done." She muttered grimly, the Doctor turned to her and ran his sonic over her.

"No, all the Huon particles have gone. No damage, you're fine." He assured, but Donna took a breath and looked around.

"Yeah, but apart from that, I missed my wedding, lost my job and became a widow on the same day. Sort of." She let out a breath hugging her arms to her, all in all? Not really been a good day.

"I couldn't save him." The Doctor told her quietly, it was true really, Nightshade probably could've...but he doubted he could've convinced her to.

"He deserved it." At that the Doctor's eyes widened, but Donna sighed and shook her head. "No, he didn't." Her gaze drifted to the house and she let out another breath. "I'd better get inside. They'll be worried." She spotted her mother and grandfather hugging, and she felt a pang of guilt hit her.

"Best Christmas present they could have." The Doctor said softly, also gazing at the scene. But then he paused and turned to her. "Oh, no. I forgot you hate Christmas." he blinked, and winced a bit as he remembered. She let out a breath looking down.

"Yes, I do." She muttered, and the Doctor paused, and then smiled as an idea occurred to him.

"Even if it snows?" He pulled out a small device and pointed it at the Tardis, the light at the top turned yellow and glowed, before firing off a bolt of energy into the sky, snow began to fall peacefully. Donna gasped looking around.

"I can't believe you did that!" She exclaimed looking around amazed, he smiled but waved it off.

"Oh, basic atmospheric excitation." He explained, but Donna looked around at the snow and breathed.

"Merry Christmas."

The Doctor smiled fondly, before taking a breath and shoving his hands in his pockets. "And you. So, what will you do with yourself now?" He questioned, doing his best to be subtle.

Donna turned and looked at him, she took a breath and looked around again. "Not getting married, for starters. And I'm not going to temp anymore. I don't know. Travel. See a bit more of planet Earth. Walk in the dust. Just go out there and do something." She shrugged, rubbing her arms a bit, the Doctor scratched the back of his neck trying to be subtle and not obvious.

"Well, you could always..." he trailed off watching her reaction.

"What?" She questioned turning to look at him. He shrugged a bit trying to play it off.

"Come with me." He offered.

"No." She responded, and he blinked before nodding and taking a breath, trying to ignore the feeling that settled inside him.

"Okay." He responded simply. Donna took a breath seeing the vague disappointment cross over his face.

"I can't." She tried to explain, but he shook his head shrugging it off..

"No, that's fine." She let out a breath and looked back at the Tardis getting that panicked sort of feeling again.

"No, but really. Everything we did today. Do you live your life like that?" She asked softly, and turned back to look at him. He glanced to the side.

"Not all the time."

"I think you do. And I couldn't." She told him softly, but he turned back to her.

"But you've seen it out there. It's beautiful." He tried, hoping to be able to convince her.

"And it's terrible. That place was flooding and burning and they were dying, and you two stood there...and she _enjoyed_ it. And Doctor...you stood there like, I don't know, a stranger. And then you made it snow. I mean, you scare me to death." She let out a breath, feeling relieved to get it off her chest, but oddly guilty for her words.

Especially when all he did was nod, his face unreadable, "right." He let out a breath.

Donna looked at him and let out a breath, "Tell you what I will do, though. Christmas dinner. Oh, come on. You and Night, we can even figure out how to get that mask thing off, girl is too skinny as it is." But the Doctor shook his head at her offer.

"I don't do that sort of thing." He told her gently.

"You did it last year. You said so. And you might as well, because Mum always cooks enough for twenty. It's time to fatten you two stick people up." She told him with a smile that indicated the last part as teasing.

The Doctor gazed at her before smiling, "Oh, all right then. But you go first. Better warn them. And don't say I'm a Martian. I just have to park her properly. And go get Nighty, the Tardis might drift off to the Middle Ages. I'll see you in a minute." He turned and walked back over to the Tardis. Donna paused watching him, and knowing that he wasn't going to be coming back. She watched him enter, and the engines started up, she felt an unexplainable urge to call him back, she took a hard breath.

"Doctor! Doctor!" She shouted as loud as she could, the wheezing stopped and he opened the door again peering out.

"Blimey, you can shout." He remarked rubbing the side of his head.

"Am I ever going to see you again?" She asked, and a part of her began to wonder if she was making the wrong choice. But she pushed it aside.

"If I'm lucky." He told her with a smile, her eyes widen slightly at that. Surprised that he would want to see her again. She took a breath and looked at him.

"Just promise me one thing. Find someone." She told him gently, but he shook his head.

"I've got someone already." he told her easily, though he himself doubted how much longer she would remain on board.

"No, someone else as well. Because sometimes, I think you need someone to stop you." She told him gently, he took a breath and nodded.

"Yeah. Thanks then, Donna. Good luck. And just be magnificent." He told her with a smile, she nodded.

"I think I will, yeah." She paused, as he turned to enter the Tardis, "Doctor?" He sighed and came back out.

"Oh, what is it now?" He turned to look at her. She took a breath.

"That friend of yours. What was her name?" She asked gently, watching him and hoping he would provide her with some information.

He paused a moment not answering, "Her name was Rose." And with that, he turned and went inside the Tardis. Donna watched as it vanished with a soft smile before going inside her house.

**~A~**

The Doctor set the Tardis to drift in the vortex before turning and looking at the curled up form of his current, but very perplexing companion.

Though really, he wasn't really sure he could call her his companion. After all, she didn't seem to want to stay at all. He wasn't sure how to tell her he couldn't take her back. It would break the reality borders, and that was the last thing that was needed right now.

Plus, selfishly, he wasn't sure if he wanted to send the only other one of his people to an alternate dimension. One that was clearly a bad place to be in the first place, given her descriptions and the condition she was in.

Speaking of which, his eyes drifted over to one of her wings, he let out a breath, he doubted she would appreciate being moved while she slept.

He was half tempted to wake her, and ask all the questions that had only been accumulating within him since he found out she was a Time-Lady. He went to one of the many storage places the Tardis had and grabbed a blanket, he returned and laid it over her gently, taking a deep breath he went over to the console. He would rather find someplace without too much trouble, in her condition he doubted anymore strenuous activity would do any good.

Not that he really had a choice in the matter in the end.

He wanted to help, he was the Doctor, it's what he did. But unlike with everyone else he had met, everyone who had needed his help.

He had no idea how to help her.

Taking a deep breath he fiddled with one of the controls absently, and probably would've continued doing that, had it not been for the sound of her shifting and taking harder breaths. He looked up and came over.

"Nightshade?" he asked softly, rather not wanting to invoke her wrath. "Nighty, wake up, it's just a drea-"

"N...no! No!" she yelled curling up tighter and panting, "no! No! I want to stay! Don't make me leave!" She yelled getting more frantic in her sleep, he reached out a hand to wake her when she shot up eyes wide. "CLOCKMAKER!" She screamed, finally waking up and panting hard, but the Doctor froze staring at her wide eyed.

He knew that name...he missed hearing that name and the Time-Lord that belonged to it.

...he knew exactly who she was.

And it broke his hearts.

**A/N: So...he figured it out, but what pray tell did he figure out? Is she someone he knew? Someone he knew in relation to this "Clockmaker"? Who knows? **

**Well, I and two readers here know. **

**But you all are free to guess in the reviews! (If of course you want to) **

**Anyways I hope you guys enjoy it! I hope to have the next chapter out by next week. **

**-Earthian.**


	8. Allies: Questions Answered

**A/N: Hello! A little late, sorry about that! I've been doing philosophy and it's...a bit mentally draining, and then the weekend I was both completely unmotivated and I had a killer headache the past two days! I was going to make this one a full chapter, but I'm cliffing it because I wanted to get it out on Sunday! Happy Easter and Resurrection Sunday everyone! I hope everyone is doing well with the whole Covid-19 situation going on. Quarantine isn't fun, but it's not like it's much change from my usual schedule, the lack of store bought coffee however...not so fun. But that's me and my first world problems over here. **

**But! About the chapter, this is a completely original chapter, and it was mostly just going to be a informative one and solves some things...but I got a little...excited. **

**...and my excitement resulted in a surprise! **

**I'll explain more at the end of the chapter when the surprise is introduced. I am SO HAPPY to see that people are following and having this story as one of their favorites. I _LOVE_ your guys reviews, they make me smile every time I read them, I am so happy you guys like it! I love hearing your opinions! **

**This chapter I am a bit nervous about, because it is a completely original chapter, and I did my very best to get the Doctor as accurate as possible, so I do hope you guys like it! If you like original chapters like this, let me know in the reviews! Perhaps there will be more in the future! **

**Anyways...sorry that was a bit long, so, no more from me! Onto the story!**

**DELCAIMER: I do not own any of Doctor Who or properties associated with it, that belongs to BBC. **

**I do however own Nightshade, the story that belongs to her, and any other oc characters or content that will appear in this story. **

**Please Enjoy. **

**(Fair warning, some themes discussed in this chapter are a bit dark, I just wanted to let you know so it won't take you by surprise, Nightshade's backstory is a dark)**

Nightshade looked around, she was sitting up more now in the captain's chair, after her outburst the Doctor had taken a moment to calm her before getting up and leaning against the console and standing across from her. Neither had yet to speak a word, and the tense silence was growing uncomfortable.

"Why did I scream 'Clockmaker'?" She finally asked lifting her eyes to him, he paused and took a breath scratching the back of his head.

"That's where it gets complicated..." He took a hard breath, "Clockmaker...he was one of my friends back on Gallifrey...he the Master and I were all friends, since childhood really, I...well, they both had very influential families, I however, well I didn't know who my family was. I don't particularly know why they found such interest in me. But..." he gained a faint smile and let out a breath, "well, we'd get up to all sorts of mischief. It made the difficult times easier. Clockmaker was more like me then he was the Master. He had a knack for getting into problems." He paused with a chuckle as he remembered something. Nightshade watched him, hugging her knees close, a strong ache growing inside of her. "Lot shier then I was though, but his parents and older brother...well they were quite the imposing type." He paused thoughtfully with a frown, "he never wanted us to come over to his home, and he was often very frightened and cagier when they were around." Then he looked up and took a breath seeing her blank face, "anyways, we were out some old Tardis farm, trying to find some old cores, when..." he paused and looked at her letting out a breath, "we found a girl, skin and bones she was. Frail little thing with stark white hair, she took one look at us and ran. Didn't know it at the time, but that was because she had just escaped her parents home. We came back to that farm the next few days, wondering if we would see her again...but no luck. The following week, Clockmaker said he saw the 'white haired girl' at the market taking some food. But before he could get a close look, she took off. So, we just started looking around for her, it became...like a scavenger hunt, something to distract us from upcoming school and other responsibilities. We almost started asking around, but considering the bruises on her, the Clockmaker figured it wasn't the best idea." He then took a breath and looked halfway amused, and halfway annoyed, "I don't know if she had some sort of sixth sense on her or something, but she always managed to avoid us. Eventually we...well, the sighteens became fewer, and fewer, until we stopped spotting her all together. The Master and I kinda stopped looking, figuring something happened to her..."

He gave a little wince, "well, something did happen. Cause...well, you see, the Clockmaker...he didn't stop looking. Even when we got enrolled into the academy, even three years later, he was still looking. He drew sketches and would show them to officers and guards...I'm a bit ashamed to admit, I was a bit...a _smidge_ more practical, and tried to tell him there wasn't a point in really looking, she was probably dead. The Master called him crazy...most of the other students did as well. They started teasing him about it, whether not he'd find his 'non-existent girlfriend'. Or that he was making her up, I didn't ever call him any of that, and I did help him out from time to time...but he was _dedicated_. We never really understood why he was so determined to find her, whenever we would ask, he would just say that she looked like she came from a bad situation...and he just wanted to help her. I always felt like there was more he would've said...but just never did." He sighed and rubbed the back of his neck, he paused a moment blinking as he realized something. "I...didn't even realize...this is the first time I've spoken of either of them...since-"

"The war." Nightshade cut him off, watching him for a long moment. He blinked and turned to her.

"I don't...remember mentioning the war..." he had said their planet was gone...but he hadn't said anything about the war...had he?

"I know..." she paused and sighed, rubbing the side of her head. "I just...sometimes...words come up in my head." She took a breath and looked up at him again, "so, there was a war then?" She...felt like that was very important.

He nodded and took a breath looking to the side, "yes, and I'll get there." She scowled a tad, and sighed, sitting back with a breath, this was going to be a long story time. "Now...where was I…?" he frowned trying to think.

"Your buddy was obsessed with the white hair girl." She prompted with a raised eyebrow. He paused and tilted his head.

"Well...obsessed may be a strong word..." he paused and pursed his lips before nodding, "okay yeah, he was probably obsessed." She motioned a hand to him in a 'thought so' fashion. He took a breath and put his hands back on the console as he leaned against it. "Anyways, it wasn't until...oh, I don't know...twenty years later-"

"_Twenty years?_" She demanded gaping at him, he looked at her, "your buddy was obsessed for _twenty_ years to a girl he had _never_ spoken to?" He let out a chuckle and nodded.

"Yes, well, twenty years to us is more like...five years? I don't know, anyways, we were in our second decade of the academy. We were out in the fields before Acadia, a lot of students liked to stay there when they had free time, the view was incredible." He looked fond for a moment as he recalled, but then let out a breath, "by this point Clockmaker was getting desperate and fearing for the worst, I wasn't sure how to help and tried to distract him, but it was useless. He is..." he paused and took a deep breath, "was...he was, really stubborn." He took yet another breath, "anyways, he and I were heading to meet up with the Master, when suddenly she was there, she came straight up to us, now of course older, but we could recognize that hair anywhere. I'm pretty sure the Clockmaker was in shock, he just stared, but to be fair, I was doing much the same. Then she came up...and she punched him right in the face." He paused and chuckled, "I was laughing too hard to help him up at first, but eventually I did, only for her to grab his shirt and yell at him about not following her anymore. Then with that she let go of him and walked away. I started after her, but she disappeared. When I looked back at Clockmaker...well I think he honestly had a deathwish, he just turned and looked at me, grinning like a doofus. I will never forget his words, 'I think I'm in love.' That was all he said, and I will admit, his behavior was quite strange, but at least he was loyal. For the next five years, he didn't try and find her as hard, but he always turned down every other girl we met. The Master started drifting toward a rougher crowd, so I ended up spending more time with him. I told him...that he should probably move on, but he refused. I guess...it was good he was so determined. Because a year later...she showed up in front of our dormitory door on the verge of regeneration. I had never seen someone so concerned and happy at the same time. He brought her in, she was barely conscious for the next few weeks. I told him we should probably go and find one of the nurses, but he was determined to keep it a secret. He said she had to come from something bad to be like this." He took a deep breath, "anyways, he personally nursed her back to health, and I think that's what helped their friendship grow. Eventually she was integrated in our little friend group, and she wasn't really that bad to have around. She...later called herself the Specialist. Her and the Clockmaker got married, apparently she had come from a really rough home and had been living off scraps on the streets all those years. He taught her everything he knew, They had a family...three kids, two boys and a girl..." he smiled faintly, but then paused and opened his mouth-

"But then the war happened...and…their children died..." She cut him off with a whisper as she stared at the ground wide eyed, "and..." she started taking deeper and harder breaths, "a...and he saved her...fr...from something...something...she...she made..." she looked like she might be sick. He swallowed, and tensed when her head shot up. "What happened to him!?" She stood up shaking, "where is the planet!? Wh...what happened...wh..." she swallowed, already looking like she knew.

"...it's gone. Everything...everyone...is gone." He whispered, feeling that familiar guilt surge within him again, "his gone Specialist...everyone is gone. We are all that is left." He whispered watching her, she stared at the ground before her shaking, slowly she fell back into the chair behind her feeling weak. He could feel anxiety churning in his gut.

"...so...if...it's just...you and I...and…I was...somewhere else...did he do it?" She looked up but her hair was covering her eyes, "did he kill everyone?" The Doctor looked to the side and gripped the console behind him. He closed his eyes.

"No. He would've...done it. But he...he died...defending me from a Dalek on our way there..." he closed his eyes. "Then...I did it."

**~A~**

Two hours, thirty six minutes, and forty five seconds. That was the exact time since she had last spoken. For that period of time she sat in the captain's chair legs pulled up and her arms wrapped around them. Completely silent, completely lost in thought. He didn't know if she had fully remembered, or if she had only gotten remnants as prompted on by his story.

He wanted to ask, he wanted to know where her head was at. If she still wanted to leave, or if she was finally considering staying.

Now that he knew who she was. He felt anxiety like he hadn't known before…or at least not for a very long time.

He knew her...and she was here. He couldn't believe his luck, not only was he not alone, but it was someone he knew! Got along with even!

But this wasn't her, not the same one he knew from all those years ago. This was someone else, yes, there were similarities, the way she talked and the way she behaved, it was very similar to the girl that he once knew.

But there were so many differences as well, there was something beyond just a new regeneration. From the hints he had gotten and things he had figured out from observation. Something really bad happened to her.

He gazed at her a long moment, and he couldn't keep his questions in much longer, "Night...I've answered your questions...it's only fair that you answer mine." He tried, she remained quiet gazing at the floor.

"What are your questions?" She mumbled not looking up.

"Okay...well where do you come from?" he questioned starting light. She however sighed and rolled her eyes sitting back in the chair and rubbing her forehead.

"I was kidnapped at ten years old. His name was Jiskcro. His species...alien. Often kidnapped children to put into labor camps." She stated shortly, he paused and blinked.

"I wasn't..."

"Its a waste of time to go through all that. I know what you want to know. You want to know what made me like this. It was a lifetime. Eighteen years made me like this. At least. I assume eighteen. I don't know how old I am. My first memory was appearing as a child in a strange city with nothing but a piece of paper with my name. The man who kidnapped me gave me these wings. Said it was because of the tattoo on my back." At that his eyes widened a bit. "I don't know where it came from or where I had been before. I had a bad habit of biting people so they put a muzzle on me. To test my skills and intelligence they blinded me. Only because of these glasses can I see. I survive through fear and intimidation. If I don't. I die." She got up on shaky legs, "my memories are jumbled now. I don't know what is real and what is not anymore. I don't know if you think I am someone else or if you are telling the truth. I don't know why this place gives me headaches, or makes me feel nauseous." She took a breath and rubbed her forehead, her eyes cast downward as she tried to steady herself, she didn't notice the Doctor come over until she saw his converse. She blinked and looked up at him.

"The muzzle...why does it make you bleed?" He asked, gazing at her, she looked to the side and took a deep breath.

"Because...it's supposed to cause me pain as punishment for talking." She mumbled, he paused not saying anything for a moment.

"Will you let me help you?" At that her head snapped to him and her eyes narrowed.

"I don't need help."

"You are about to keel over and die." He pointed out, she scowled crossing her arms.

"I'm...not." She muttered weakly, he took a breath and her eyes widened when he put his hands on her shoulders. She turned to look at him half angry and half confused.

"I know you don't remember...but you are my friend, and not only that, you are the wife of the man who sacrificed his life for my own. I owe this to both of you. To you and him. Let me help you." He took a breath and released her, "I want to help you get your memories, and a part of the reason is selfish. I want...to not be alone. I can't take you back to the place you came from. It's impossible, I can take you to any plant in any time you want...but I don't want to. I want you here. I don't...want to be alone anymore." He looked at her again, "I don't know what that place was like for you, I have thousands of questions and I don't know if you can answer them all. I know you have questions as well." He grabbed her gloved hands and she tensed a bit, but he held fast. "Let's find out together. We don't have to be friends, not yet, but let's be allies." He grinned as though excited by the idea, "oh Night! I could show you all the stars you want to see! The universe is wonderful and vast! And just think! Two time lords! Amongst the stars, seeing and experiencing everything there is!" he turned back to her and smiled, and she looked at him startled.

"You...want me here?" She questioned quietly wide eyed, he squeezed her hands slightly and nodded.

"Yes, Night...I can see it in your eyes, I know you are lonely as well." He smiled, "we'll keep each other company!"

He looked...so excited, it felt...so familiar. She looked to the side and took a breath.

"Doctor. I can't...do things like you do, I don't like humanity, and I don't see a reason for second chances. I strive to win...not to save." She pulled her hands back, and frowned at him. "I like my weapons, I feel safe with my guns. And I'm not going to give them up. If you want me, you take all of me. Including the villain in me." His face had sombered and he gazed at her seriously understanding what she was saying.

"I know." He took a breath, "and I don't like guns, I don't like death or goodbyes, I'm not going to hide that. And I'm not going to stop trying to convince you there is another way." His eyes flickered over her guns, "or try to prevent you from using those. There will be times, I will not tolerate it, and...if you weren't one of my kind it would make things a lot more difficult." He took a deep breath, "...I will not stop trying to change your mind, but I won't take them from you." Then he points warningly, "unless you get all trigger happy, then we will be having a serious conversation." He took yet another deep breath, "I just...I want you to think before you use them. Ask yourself if it is really the best option."

Nightshade gazed at him a long moment and looked to the side, "fine, I will think." He nodded with a breath knowing there wasn't anything more he could get out of her.

But there was something he wanted to get off.

"Night...may I try and remove the mask?" he asked gazing at her, she stiffened her wings bunching up behind her. "You are weaker right now, you don't have the nutrition you need. I want to help you, but I need your help to do that."

She closed her eyes and took a breath, "I can't...get it off..." she swallowed, and motioned to the two knobs on each end of her jawline. "Because I can't convince myself to...inflict that much pain." His brow furrowed and he raised his sonic and scanned it, at the readings his eyebrows rose.

"You mean..."

"Yes, there is a screw in each side of my jaw."

He was quiet for a long moment, "the only way I can feasibly get it off is if you are unconscious." But her eyes narrowed.

"Then it is staying on." She told him lowly and he took a breath scratching the back of his head.

"Night, that is intense to be awake for, you would end up passing out from pain."

"I am _not_ going to be drugged."

"Well I'm not doing it while you can feel it." He countered, she took a breath and grit her teeth before wincing a bit.

"Then numb it." She prompted, and he turned to her, blinking.

"Numb the _bone_?"

"I don't know! Yes! Of course I want it off. I've been trying for years! But I barely know you! I'm not just going to let you knock me unconscious!" She countered, and took a breath crossing her arms. He took a deep breath as well, before turning to pace. She sighed and sat down again.

Then suddenly he turned to her and snapped his fingers, "ah ha!" She blinked.

"What?"

"We need to remove the screws right? And you don't want to be unconscious, but the pain would be too intense. Yes?"

"Yes..." She trailed gazing at him suspiciously. He grinned, a little madly and raced over to the console.

"Well! I have a solution! We basically need to destroy the screws without hurting you yes? Well lucky for us there is something just for that!" He started typing in coordinates, her brow furrowed deeply and she got up and come over leaning on the console a bit more than she should.

"Doctor what are you talking about?" She demanded with a breath, he turned to her and grinned.

"I'm talking about how to get that mask off of you!" He turned back to the console and continued to type. "You see, there is an invention in the later years of humanity, it was made to deal with surgery when you can't put the patient under. Usually for obstructed organ removal. Basically it targets and incinerates the _molecular structure_ of the item in question! That way we can make the screws disappear without harming you at all. It's a win, win situation! Because once the screws are gone it would only be a matter of dismantling the mask itself. Which all in all shouldn't be too difficult, it's a deceivingly complex design. It's meant to make people _think_ it's really complicated when it really isn't..." He rambled as he worked, Nightshade just stared at him.

"I hate you." She told him bluntly, and he blinked stopping mid sentence.

"Why? What did I do?" He asked a bit aghast. She growled eyes narrowing.

"I have been trying to figure this out for _eight_ years. And you did it in a matter of _minutes_." At that however he grinned.

"Well, I am known to be quite the genius." But she just growled again, he took a breath, "look, you've been obsessing over it for as you put it, '_eight years_'. You just needed a fresh perspective."

She crossed her arms and took a breath, "fine."

"That and my extensive knowledge of space and time." He added with a shrug earning him a scowl, he smirked at her, "ready?" She nodded with another breath. He threw the switch and they were off, the familiar wheezing sound filling their ears.

And of course the extremely turbulent ride that made Nightshade nauseous all over again.

**~A~**

Nightshade leaned heavily on the door frame of the Tardis as the Doctor exited, he motioned around, "Nightshade! Welcome to planet Embre of the Sycollis system." They had landed on what looked to be a square platform in the center of a purple ocean, one that glittered because of the three suns above them. Off in the distance there were large crystal mountains that reflected the suns beautifully, the sky was full of planets, including ones with several rings encircling it. The sky itself was a light lavender color. The platform they stood on was a light silver color, with a metallic look that caused it to sparkle in the sun, the platform was only slightly above the water and the water often splashed onto it due to the waves coming in.

The Doctor turned around and grinned at her, "whatcha think?"

She stared at him, blinking and not really able to take in the environment around them, "I think..either there are two of you or my glasses are malfunctioning..." she slurred a bit drunkenly. His eyes widened and he came over.

"Okay...maybe you should stay in the Tardis..." He took her gently by the shoulders but she shook her head.

"No...no...gonna...help..."

"You can't help anyone in the state you're in." He insisted but she shoved him.

"I would've been fine if you were a better pilot." She slurred and grumbled at once.

"My piloting has nothing to do with it! She always does that!" He protested, but she just scowled at him moodily. He took a breath, "I think you should stay back in the Tardis. Things with me tend to escalate."

"Yeah...I haven't noticed." She grumbled and leaned against the Tardis more. He took a deep breath.

"Night, if you come with me, I don't know if you can make it back. Your condition is really bad." He insisted and she took a breath and growled.

"Do you have anything with the ingredient of cocoa?" He blinked at the question and patted down his pockets before pulling out a chocolate bar. Her brow furrowed, "What is that?" He blinked and looked at it.

"It's a chocolate bar." She looked at him blankly and he looked sad, "oh, now that is very tragic." He shook his head, "we are going to have to resolve this soon." He handed it to her, "but how are you going to eat it if you have the mask on?"

"I'm not going to eat it." She mumbled, taking off the wrapper. She placed the chocolate bar in her hand and the metal glove heated up and turned red, the chocolate bar quickly melted, and she grabbed a syringe from her belt, she used it to pull up some of the melted chocolate bar, he watched brow furrowed.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm using the chemicals in the cocoa to finish off the formula I've been working on. Where I come from, cocoa is a very rare commodity, it's only grown in the nests of the earth dragons up in the mountains, not many people dare travel there. When cocoa appears on the market it's snatched up within two hours. Usually it takes about three years to get a small batch, it takes three years for the hatchlings to leave the nests on their first tunnel dives. For four days the nests are practically empty and that's when the explorers go and get a batch of it. But they are very difficult to obtain and it takes two days to even get to the batch." She took a breath, "regardless, it's rare, but it's an important ingredient in the formula."

"And...what does the formula do?" he questioned with a raised eyebrow.

"It keeps my body functioning normally for twenty five hours." At that he blinked.

"Why twenty five?"

"Because twenty four is stupid." She muttered and shook up the syringe. She took a breath and rolled up her sleeve, she injected it into her arm and shut her eyes taking a harder breath and clenching her fists. She inhaled sharply and opened her eyes again standing up straighter. She raised an eyebrow at him. "Don't ever tell me to stay behind." And with that she walked past him. He raised an eyebrow watching her go before closing the Tardis and following after. He caught up as they went over to what looked to be a hatch to what was below or possibly within the platform itself. He motioned to the water.

"You know the water is a purple color instead of the standard Earth blue, because of the different colored suns." He turned and pointed to the three suns, "because of their varying colors their combination causes both the sky and water to become a purple hued color." He explained excitedly and turned to look at her but she was crouched over the hatch. "Night?"

"Hm?" She looked up and looked around, "oh...that's cool." She then turned back to the hatch, he frowned and took a breath.

"You are a lot more difficult to impress than my companions."

"Get this mask off me without killing me. _Then_ I will be impressed." She hit a large obscure button with her elbow and the gears in the hatch began to open. He pulled out his sonic and scanned it as the hatch began to open.

He pulled the sonic back and examined the readings, "for such a high tech place it's very basic machinery."

Nightshade leaned over and looked down below at the long tunnel that went down with the ladder attached to one side. "Confined spaces...my favorite." She took a deep breath and folded up her wings tightly against her back before starting down the ladder, the Doctor soon followed, once they were both inside the hatch closed above them...and locked. Both froze and looked up at the hatch they could now barely make out in the darkness. The Doctor held on with one hand and pulled out his sonic scanning it. He pulled back and looked at the readings with a frown.

"It's deadlock sealed." He looked down at her, "the sonic doesn't do deadlocks."

"That's stupid. Deadlocks is something that actually _needs_ to be opened." She sighed, her mask lighting up with a soft bluer teal glow, as it did every time she spoke, but now much more prominent because of the darkness they were subject to.

Well, at least he knew he wouldn't lose her.

"I can't help what it _can't _do, you know." He took a breath and as she started down the ladder so did he.

"So what are we looking for?" Nightshade asked as they continued downward, her gaze on her boots as her glasses lit up things in a faint blue glow for her.

"It's called a Tirosik. It was made by Niles Effin in 7098. After the humans had spread across the universe." He explained watching his own feet as well. Their grips on the bars never faltering.

"You seem oddly dedicated to getting this mask off me, and I can't help but wonder why the #$$ you care so much." She mumbled with a deep breath.

"Well, as I told you before. Even though you don't know me, I do know you, you were...are one of my friends. I don't want my friends to suffer. Is that so hard to see?"  
"Yes."

At that he paused in his descent and looked down at her, "you keep...talking about that other place...fondly...but also with a deep level of hatred. What happened to you there?"

He watched as she came to a stop as well, a little bit further down then he was. She took a breath looking down.

"Mickey had said the void was hell...I'm inclined to believe that but with another addition." She finally looked up at him, the blue light of her mask and glasses causing her eyes to burn more intensely. "Where I come from, is where all the sinners go to rot. If you can think of it, I can guarantee someone there has done it. There are deep...evil places there. I call myself a villain in comparison to normal people. But in the light of some of the sick psychos there, I am a mere petty criminal. I speak of it fondly because despite all that, there is a degree of beauty there. Something burning fiercely under all the evil and terror that clouds over the world. No. It's not the people, people are _not_ good at heart, and if given free reign, they will inflict terror and pain upon any who cross their path." She paused, and took a breath, "it...was the...beauty of the world. Despite the dark and evil fog that drifted over the city, when you got up on the sky scrapers..." she took a breath, "you could see above the doom and gloom...and see the stars, ##$#. There were _so_ many, so many worlds...and galaxies out there. It made me feel small...small and almost...insignificant. But...I was _alive_, despite all this, despite all the terror...I was still breathing, I should've died...so many times, so many nights I should've frozen to death, died of starvation...but I _didn't. _I don't know why, I don't know why _I _of all people was still alive...but I was and...it was going to stay that way. I didn't care what it took. I was going to stay alive." She took a deep breath, "I hate that place, if I could burn it down, I would. But it's still my home."

There was silence for a moment.

"I can show you...all the stars you want to see, if you let me." He whispered, and she snapped her attention to him. He smiled down at her and she blinked, before looking down and starting down the ladder, he followed after and couldn't help but smile brightly at her next words.

"That better be a promise."

He grinned down at her, "yeah, it definitely is."

**~A~**

Nightshade dropped onto the metal grate first and moved aside to let the Doctor down as well. It was a small space that led down a short hallway leading to a door where many noises came from, all indistinguishable through the thick metal door. She watched him land on the ground with a slight crouch and stretch his arms with a breath.

"I haven't climbed that far down in more than a century! I'd forgotten how long they could make some ladders." He looked around and pulled out his sonic. He scanned the room and took the readings. "Interesting, there is a lower percentage of oxygen here, down to...oh about eighteen percent? Ish?" He turned to look at her, "we should be fine, time lords have a respiratory bypass system. We can hold our breath for a considerable amount of time. But we should still keep moving, it doesn't make us invincible." Nightshade turned and looked at him.

"I would be fine even if I were human. The mask..." points to the glowing part that from a distance could be mistaken for teeth. "Filters through everything and has chemicals that will compensate for the lack of something I need. It is producing the oxygen I need by converting the gases in the air." She turned and looked at the door, "but for your sake let's get going." She headed down the hallway and he frowned a bit realizing lately he had done a lot of following. He hmphed and followed after her getting to the door, he pulled out his sonic and started to sonic the door, but then it opened.

It swinged open ominously like they were in some horror or thriller film. Nightshade turned and looked at his sonic.

"It doesn't work that fast...does it?" At her question he put it away.

"No, no it does not." he turned to her and grinned, his face partially lit up due to the light now filtering in through the crack in the door. "Exciting isn't it?" They gazed at each other for a minute before she turned to face the door.

"...yeah, kinda exciting." At that he beamed and he reached over her slightly and pushed the door opened.

The two of them were witness to a large cave system, they found themselves staring at a large cavern with all sorts of aliens and people below them, the more humanoid types were wearing masks or bands over their noses that likely helped to produce oxygen. The place seemed to be bustling with life. Before them stood a old walkway that was clearly forgotten about in the industrial revolution this place clearly went through, the buildings were tall and spiraled, they reached the ceiling and connected in a web like fashion on the ceiling, and it was unclear if it supported the cavern or they were just trying to fill up all the available space.

The place was lit up in a traditional yellow glow, with the streetlamps that lined the streets and the glow that came from the golden crystals on the surrounding wall, the place overall was well lit.

Upon further inspection it would be clear that this place was a trading town. There was an auction set up at the far edge...where it looked like they were selling...people.

"...this looks familiar." Nightshade mumbled, the Doctor let out a breath.

"Black market dealings, they go on everywhere. C'mon. The sooner we can find the tirosik the better." He started heading down the path, Nightshade took a breath and followed him down the walkway.

**~A~**

Now within the bustling city streets, Nightshade's eyes were flickering over everyone there quickly, one hand resting on her weapon the other clenched into a fist. The Doctor however weaved through the crowd so easily Nightshade struggled a bit to keep up. People were shoulder to shoulder, there was shouting and yelling of numbers, bids, some in forgien languages that she couldn't comprehend, she was near shoving the people as the sight of the Doctor grew further and further away. She grit her teeth ignoring the pain and shoved harder but the crowd only grew thicker and louder.

"_DOCTOR!_" She shouted as loud as she could kicking, pushing, and shoving best she could to get through the crowd, but it was fruitless.

#$# he could be so oblivious.

She tried shouting again, but it was useless. He was completely out of her sight now, she tried to spread her wings and get above the crowd but there was barely any room to even breathe. She saw a clear alleyway and started making her way towards that.

**~A~**

"You see Night, this is one of the more...well, exotic black market hubs, it isn't far fetched to think we could find the tirosik here, it isn't a very common item, but it has worked itself onto the market during the century where it was still working properly. So long as we get the first generation of the product we should be fine, the second, third, and fourth are alright, but there were some nasty side-effects from it after the first generation. They believed a nano bug managed to get in and reproduce itself, confusing the computers into replicating a slightly different machine. The higher ups didn't figure that out until later on. They recalled it immediately but by that point the damage had been done and the company went bankrupt over lawsuits. They were never able to recover or retrieve the original makeup of the device, and by that point mister Effin was already in the grave. That's why I always say to double...no triple check your work before you put it on the market." He explained almost all in one breath, he had finally reached a slightly clearer part of the city, nearing the shop he knew sold the item, but as he turned to see her expression he froze before sighing, "so that's why I was able to get through the whole thing without an interruption." He took a breath looking around really wishing he could sense her presence. He pulled out his sonic hoping to trace her double heartbeat, but that was when he realized he...was in a very different part of the city then he had thought he was. He frowned looking around, he must've gotten turned around in the crowd, and now was completely lost.

He turned to check his sonic, but that was when a bell rang to his left he turned and watched as the door was swung open and out was shoved a young man with prominent reddish brown hair. He was human, with no breathing strip on his nose nor a mask on his face. The shopkeeper, a Viskra, stepped slightly out of the store and swore at the young man in her native tongue. The Doctor watched as the man cowered a bit covering his head as the alien shouted at him, before she slammed the door shut.

The Doctor turned back to his sonic which only told him it was still searching, and well, she had said twenty five hours right? She was capable of taking care of herself. He nodded to himself and put his sonic away and went over to the man who was getting on his shaky legs.

"So, is that how you usually make friends?" The Doctor asked lightly, taking in the teenager's haggard appearance. The young man looked up and flinched back in surprise, and the Doctor blinked at the sight of his vibrantly red eyes.

Red and...crazed eyes.

His crazed, red, and very frightened eyes.

"Whoa, hey...easy...I'm the Doctor." he raised his hands, "I'm not going to hurt you." The boy seemed to relax slightly.

Appearance wise he couldn't be any older then seventeen or eighteen, around the same age as Night herself. The Doctor smiled trying to put him more at ease.

"So, what is your name?" He asked gently, the boy was almost like a frightened animal, ready to flee at any second.

"N...name?" The young man whispered gazing at the Doctor for short intervals before getting distracted and looking away. Sometimes even at a rock to their side.

"Yeah, name, like, I'm the Doctor, and you are…?"

"...name...I have name...s..." he added the plural to that statement as a bit of an afterthought.

"Names? Oh, well it's good to have name_s_, having one name is sometimes boring, easy to remember but boring all the same. So what might your _names_ be?" He got into a crouch before him, hands on his knees. The teenager looked at him for a second before once again looking away, unable to stay focused for a long period of time.

"...names...Red...human...brother...Red...main...name...Red..." he trailed looking distant, his brow furrowed, "no...not anymore...Red...died..."

"He did?" The Doctor prompted gently, growing a bit concerned for the person before him.

"Yes...but don't tell him that." He told him urgently, grabbing his hands, "she's gone too! But you can't tell Red that! He keeps calling for her...crying for her...he _thinks_ she is still here. But I know, I know the terrible truth..." he looked to the side and muttered nonsense to himself. The Doctor squeezed his hands trying to get him to focus.

"Hey, hey look at me. I won't tell him I promise...can you tell me who _you_ are?" He asked gently, the boy turned and looked at him blinking.

"...pain...grief...fire...fire...fire..." he scratches at the spot over his heart, "...name...name...B...Blaze..." his eyes got glazed over. "Blaze...fire blaze..." his voice got deeper. "...death." Both the Doctor's eyebrows raised at that. The alleged 'Blaze' scratched the side of his head frantically the Doctor had to step in and grab his wrist sure the boy was about to draw blood.

"Whoa...easy, let's just calm down, Blaze was it? Okay, okay, look, lets just take a deep breath..." then he paused realizing that even he was starting to feel a strain on his lungs, so how come this young man wasn't struggling? He pulled out his sonic and ran it over the muttering boy. His eyes widened at the readings.

He looked up at him confused, "that's impossible..." he paused, "well, not _impossible_, nothing is _really_ impossible, just...very unlikely." He took a deep breath gazing at the fidgeting boy before him, "...just _who_ are you?"

**A/N: Whew! Surprise! Another oc character! I had quite the trove to pick from of the ones I have, so deciding on him was a bit difficult, there is quite a bit different story surrounding him then the one that surrounds Nightshade! He is a much different character and I do hope you guys come to like him! Personally I think he is great, (but again I'm terribly biased) **

**As always if you have any questions feel free to ask!**

**Anyways, I hope you guys have a good, safe and home-bound week!**

**-Earthiana2 **


	9. Allies: Blaze Red

**A/N: Hello everyone! Sorry this is a few days late, I was otherwise occupied with things, including making a birthday present for my best friend! Happy birthday Selkiesong! Speaking of which, if anyone here is interested in reading a Danny Phantom fic with lots of detail and emotional turmoil look no further! Check out the Weight On My Shoulders by Selkiesong22, it is great and I love the emotional depth she gives Danny! **

**Anyways, I hope you guys enjoy the chapter! **

**DECLAIMER: I do not own Doctor who or anything associated with it. That belongs to BBC**

**I do however own Blaze and Nightshade and the stories associated with them. **

Nightshade stumbled into the alleyway with a breath, she dusted herself off as if she could get off all the gross smells she had encountered on her hazardous journey here.

Some aliens do not need to be in crowded places.

She shook herself out with an almost shiver, her wings stretched out behind her, relieved with their freedom to move. Her eyes flickered back to the crowd that sat just outside the alleyway, there were no gaps, no open spaces. This place was apparently flooded with people.

How the Doctor managed to weave through that mess, she would never know.

Shaking her head she turned away and looked up, before swearing under her breath, there was a grate, and it would take far too long to remove, her eyes flickered to the gap at the entrance of the alley, she would have to go above the crowd in order to get into the air. ! #$$.

She hated letting a crowd see her wings.

It never ended well.

"Oi! Are you one of those Virciinanians!?" Someone called down the alley, she stiffened and looked over down the alley, but the person who spoke was shrouded by shadows, the alley seemed to be in disarray, there were pieces of the building sides on the ground, broken off from the walls.

"No. I'm not." She snapped angrily. It was one thing to be called some Time...whatever, but it was another to be mistaken for another species entirely!

She didn't have a ##$ bird beak or feet!

"Then what are those hmm?" The obviously nosey man questioned, Nightshade glared her eyes narrowing.

"Shut up." She turned away and let out a breath rolling her shoulders. Okay. She could do this. It was just a crowd, this was not home. Who knows? Maybe they were more accepting of oddities…

#$# the Doctor's positivity was rubbing off on her.

She shook her head and spread her wings out behind her, only to jump away and look wide eyed at the person next to her. It must've been the person…

Person was a bit of a stretch...wait, did aliens count as people? Or was that just a human term?

#$%$# she had spent a LOT of time around aliens and this was a question she was asking now?

The male _being_ next to her was smirking, she jumped away from the person next to her and glared, "I have a very big personal bubble."

"And very large wings!" another being behind her exclaimed. She whipped around and jumped from the both of them. Her eyes narrowed as she put her hand to her gun.

"You will sell for a rather pretty penny on the market..." one of the male beings muttered. She growled lowly at that, her wings pinned behind her painfully.

"Come near me and you're dead." She snapped with another growl.

"Ooh, feisty." The taller alien smirked, revealing his fanged teeth. Nightshade growled stepping back, she then pulled out her gun, and they stepped back hands raised, she pulled out the other and aimed each one at each man before her. She growled eyes narrowed into slits.

"Now, I've been told to think about it, think if it's the right choice and only option, and I have, I have thought about it. And you're not going to like my answer." She cocked both guns, her and before her targets appeared on both men, the calculations of angles and accuracy appearing before her in a precise line of shots. She smirked under her mask, ignoring the surge of pain that shot through her at the movement of her mouth.

"If you shoot those here, you will attract a lot of unwanted attention." The taller one growled, the shorter one smartly looked more frightened and held up his hands, the taller however, he just gazed at her evenly. Nightshade tilted her head.

"Oh yes, I know." Then she let go of her guns, her wings spreading slightly, curling forward in a cupping like fashion and catching them, she crossed her arms and pulled out a knife from the opposite leg and threw it…

At the dead center of their chests.

This all happened within seconds, too fast for them to react or flee, she watched as they dropped to the ground, the blades sticking out of their chests, she grabbed her guns from her wings and put them away, she came over and checked their pockets, she found a ID on each, a key-ring on one of them, and a scheduling notebook on the other.

At the last one she raised an eyebrow examining it.

"Even in space they use stupid paper." She shook her head and stuck it into her belt. She put the key-ring and the IDs in the spare pocket she always kept empty for things she found. Zipping up the pocket she stood with a breath.

She turned her attention to the crowd and rolled her shoulders. Well, in the end it didn't matter if she had used the gun or not.

She was about to attract a whole lotta attention.

~A~

"...Blaze...that's who...I am." The boy trailed his attention once again leaving the Doctor and turning to gaze at an insect that crawled by his leg. The Doctor seemed to be pulled out of his evident surprise by that.

"I...I don't understand...you're completely human...but your blood..." he mumbled brow furrowed, "it's boiling..."

"Hot..." Blaze trailed, turning his attention back to the Doctor, "it's always hot." He finished and then got to his feet. Wobbling a second, and the Doctor got up to catch him if he fell, but the boy seemed to stabilize on his own. He turned and looked around the Doctor, gazing down the long road they stood in the middle of. The very same road that led to the very crowded and loud main square.

The Doctor turned to look as well, half wondering if something was happening, or if this young man had a serious attention deficit problem. However, the Doctor did not...at least not as severely, he turned back to the boy who was scratching his head again. This time he didn't reach out to stop him.

"So...Blaze, what are you doing in a place like this? It doesn't really seem to be your kinda crowd." He asked gently watching the young man before him with both concern and caution.

He had encountered unstable people before, and they can go from calm to nuts in seconds flat.

The self-named Blaze looked back at him, his hand freezing, "...w...why…?" He trailed, his reddish brows furrowed.

"Why what?" The Doctor asked his own brows furrowing.

"...why are you..." The boy started but then got distracted and turned and gazed at the entrance to the thin road they were on. The Doctor followed his gaze, and then realized the crowd behind them had gotten a lot more active.

They were shouting a lot more, pushing and shoving each other about. The Doctor frowned and turned to face it fully. "I wonder what they are all bothered about." He mused, but his attention was pulled to his left where the boy stood, he barely came above his shoulder. For such a young man he had such a weight to the way he stood, slouched, his fists clutching the sleeves of his sweater. His small frame trembled slightly and his face was set grimly.

"...they probably found something...or someone else to sell." Blaze muttered grimly, he was a pale color and looked quite a bit weak.

The Doctor couldn't help but ask as he found the tightness in his chest starting to grow. Only slightly, but still, "Blaze...how are you able to...survive in this? There is only eighteen percent of oxygen in the air and you don't have any oxygen aid, none that I can see at least." He muttered the last part realizing he could've had an internal one put into his lungs. Those were uncommon, but they did exist.

"Red, he lets me live," the young man muttered as he scratched his head, a bit less frantic and more absentminded. "They did it because of him though..." he trailed looking at his free hand, "keep him under control..."

"What do you mean they did it? Who did what?" The Doctor questioned, his brow furrowed deeply, Blaze turned to look at him, his face grim and sad.

"The Siross, they dropped the oxygen levels because they were afraid of Red." The Doctor nodded as if he understood, when he...really didn't.

"Of course, yeah, definitely." he paused a moment and looked at him, "wait...why are they scared of this Red fellow? Not that I don't know, but in case somebody asks, how would you explain it?"

Blaze was gazing ahead, with a small smile on his face, and the Doctor found himself glad he could help the obviously troubled boy to lighten up a tad.

He always was glad and happy when he could get people to smile, or look relieved...or hopeful at his presence. That's what he strived for, hope. He had seen it too many times, experienced it himself, the lack of life and hope in someone's eyes.

He couldn't help but smile himself at the sight of the young man smiling. Even if it was at his expense.

Now he just had to find a way to get Nightshade to smile and he would be all set.

"Red...is why my blood…'boils'." Blaze took a deep breath and turned to look at him, "if they keep the oxygen levels low it is more difficult to produce fire."

"Wait...fire?" The Doctor was even more confused now, that made Blaze smile a bit.

"It's a bit complicated to explain here." He stated simply, the Doctor blinked, and couldn't help but notice the sudden more stable side of him that was starting to emerge.

"Okay, well maybe you can help me, you see, I find myself quite lost, I both am literally lost, and I lost my..." he paused uncertain of how to define the woman in his company, he couldn't really call her his companion...but he couldn't really call her his friend...could he?

She certainly didn't seem to see it that way, he was pretty convinced that the only reason she was still with him was because he was the only thing that was familiar in this universe. At that he took a breath feeling a bit depressed. She had...hinted that she would be staying, at least for awhile, but was it a bit selfish for him to want her to stay longer? Taking a deep breath he turned to the awaiting Blaze, "I lost the person I'm traveling with. We are here looking for a Tirosik. Have you heard of it?" He asked, hoping this young man could lead him to the sought after device, perhaps when he got her mask off and well, proved that he did care...then perhaps she would consider staying.

He could hope.

"Tirosik…" Blaze murmured his brow furrowed deeply, he paused looking down to the side, "I think I heard some merchants on the other side of the city saying something about that." He turned and looked at the Doctor, "I noticed them because they were human, like me." He paused with a breath looking around, "there isn't much of that around here."

"First time on an alien planet?" The Doctor asked, gazing at him, Blaze paused looking thoughtful and sad.

"No...I've been to space before, lots of times...lots of what can be called...alien planets." He frowned his eyes going distant, "usually I have my partners with me though. It's...just weird to be out without them." The Doctor watched him a long moment, opening his mouth to ask another question when…

"Get your dirty hooves off me! #$$# !" That familiar voice caught his attention, he looked up and his eyes widened at the sight of Nightshade tied up around her torso, her wings tied together separate from the other ropes. She was being ushered along, the crowd having cleared an area for her to be hauled down the center and to the stage that sat above everyone else.

"...she is almost as much of a trouble magnet as I am." The Doctor muttered and took a hard breath, he turned to Blaze, "thank you for the tip! I hope you can travel with your friends again." He flashed him a smile, but couldn't help but notice the intense pain and remorse that flashed through his eyes at the mention of his friends/comrades. The Doctor hesitated a moment, the sight painfully familiar, but the sound of Nightshade swearing the aliens off pulled him back to the matter at hand. He waved at him before taking off toward the crowd.

"Nightshade!" He called pushing through the crowd.

~A~

Nightshade struggled as best she could in the ever tightening ropes. It had to be some alien tech or magic whatever, because despite how much she struggled, they only got tighter. Two aliens with hooves for hands and feet hauled her up onto the stage where other aliens looked at her. The ones on their knees looked dejected and uninterested, but the ones with the whips in hand and the finer looking appearances smirked broadly.

Before she could give them a tongue lashing for smirking at her with that greedy look in their eyes, she was shoved toward center stage, the light shined directly on her, and she found herself unable to see anything beyond the first few rows of people.

Honestly, she should've just waited in the alleyway until the crowd cleared, she had been asking for trouble exiting the alleyway like that. But she hadn't wanted to get lost here and have the absentminded Doctor leaving her behind without thinking.

She took a breath and recoiled back squinting to avoid the bright and direct light that shined directly into her eyes it seemed. Even with her glasses on, it was extremely difficult to make anything...or anyone out.

She heard the faint sound of the Doctor's voice, but she wasn't sure if it was real or her imagination...and for that matter why would she imagine the Doctor calling her name?

That was just weird.

She did not need him, she had everything perfectly under control. Even _if_ someone bought her, the second she was out of these restraints they were dead.

And she wouldn't promise that it would be short and sweet.

Restraints made her angry.

But slave auctions made her angrier.

Everyone in that crowd was scum, she hated the feeling of people staring at her, and that's all she felt now. She heard shouting, some of it was numbers and she could vaguely make those out, but most of it was in languages she didn't understand.

It took a great amount of self restraint not to run off the stage, she might very well be killed if she did that. And there was no way to reach any of her weapons like this. She had to wait...just wait for the perfect opportunity-

Of course it was just then that she heard the faint sound of that annoying screwdriver, and in seconds following, the light above her exploded in a array of sparks, she ducked down instinctively, and stiffened as she was suddenly taken by the shoulders and practically being shoved off the stage, she was about to whip around and headbutt the person, but then she landed on the ground below the stage. The crowd was dispersing, people shouting, and that's when she looked up and noticed all the shattered lamps. Someone landed beside her with a breath she turned and looked at them, and she really wasn't that surprised to see the Doctor. He turned to her and grinned.

"There's nothing like crashing a slave auction on a purple skied planet now is there?" He chimed cheerily, she scowled, narrowing her eyes.

"Took you long enough! And what the #$# was earlier about!? You ditched me!" She cried outraged, he blinked and sighed.

"There is no pleasing you, is there?" He came over and started undoing her restraints, she was grumbling,

However they both stiffened at the sound of a laser gun powering up.

"Now. Doctor, turn around slowly." A sly hissing voice ordered, Nightshade leaned to the side and peered around the time lord before her. She raised an eyebrow.

"Um, a friend of yours?"

The Doctor turned around at her question and a smile spread over his face, "ah! Fred! My friend! How is Garamatica doing?" He asked, but the apparent Fred did not look pleased.

"She left me!" He cried outraged and the Doctor's smile fell.

"Oh…? Why?" He paused and motioned to his own face making a slight grimace, "is it because of the ya know….mucus problem-"

"Shut up!" Fred ordered, he glared at the Doctor who dropped his hand and nodded, Fred approached them, his long lizard tail sweeping the dust up behind him, he leaned in and hissed, his claws digging into the weapon in his hand, he was the personification of a giant lizard, his forked tongue flicked out of his mouth before shooting back in, he hissed revealing his deadly and long viper fangs.

Okay, maybe more like a giant snake with legs and arms.

He was a skinny thing, and the gun looked a bit goofy in his hands, but his slitted eyes were dark and murderous.

"You told me to ignore Fricinich! That he would go away! But he didn't! And now my nest mate is gone Doctor! And it's your fault!" He took a step closer, the Doctor looked offended.

"What? Fred! That was a circumstantial coincidence! When I left Fricinich was gone! How was I supposed to know he would come back?" He asked defensively, Nightshade leaned forward.

"Um, Doctor, I can help...if you just untie me." But the Doctor angled more toward her, his eyes still on Fred.

"If I let you, then Fred would be dead." he hissed, and her eyes narrowed.

"It's either Fred or us! And he is trying to kill us! I think he broke the moral law first! Now shut up and untie me!" She cried, but the Doctor was still gazing at Fred.

"Look, I'm sure we can work something out, alright?" the time lord tried. He clapped his hands and took a breath. "Okay, what if I go talk to Garamatica! We can have a whole conversation over tea! Tea is good," he turned to Nightshade for backup and despite never having tea in her life she nodded seriously in agreement.

"Oh yes, definitely, tea is very, very good for...nest mate problems..." she trailed brow furrowing at the thought that this was really what they were having a problem over.

"Right! See! Even Night agrees, now, lets just put the weapon down and have a good ole conversation over tea." The Doctor smiled hopefully, and Fred lowered his weapon, his reptilian face somehow looking heartbroken. He swung the weapon around a bit wildly as he lamented.

"She was my world!" He cried distraught, but the Doctor and Nightshade's eyes were on the gun he swung around without care. "I gave her my home! My scale shiner!" he dropped to his knees dramatically, a hand to his chest, "my heart…!" He was gazing at the ceiling of the cavern, when he sighed and looked at them once more.

Both of them tensed at the sight of the gun once again pointing at them, "my life is over Doctor...and you did this. So now your life will be over as well." The Doctor slowly reached for one of his pockets, but a motion by Fred made him raise them instead.

Nightshade couldn't help but stare in caution and fascination.

She had never met someone so dramatic!

Fred got up on his feet and walked, but more like slithered his way over to them. He hissed again his tail flicking behind him, Nightshade watched his gate and the shaking of his hand.

This alien was not a killer.

But emotions this intense can do anything to someone.

Including making them a murderer.

Nightshade tensed, ready to push the Doctor out of the way, she didn't know what he was like injured, but she knew at least she could still function when injured, and she knew how to be shot without it being fatal.

She tensed as Fred put both hands on the weapon, steadying his aim.

"Now...Fred, you don't want to kill me!" The Doctor cried moving more in front of Nightshade, something she noted with confusion and irritation, why would he care…? And why would he make it so difficult to save him?

But all of the sudden a human hand reached around Fred and tapped his shoulder. Nightshade blinked, and the Doctor frowned. Fred whipped around and Nightshade lurched forward to at the least tackle him, when the Doctor stopped her. She frowned but looked around Fred.

There stood a young boy, reddish brown hair gazing up at Fred calmly, despite the gun pointed at him.

"Sticky fingers, your nest mate went out to the store, she asked me to come and get you and tell you to…'get your scaly dramatic butt back at the house before I come out here and get you myself.'" At that Fred gasped, he lowered the gun in awed shock, as he did Nightshade didn't waste a second, she lurched forward and with her partially free hands ripped the gun out of his hands and pulled it back to her. He didn't even seem to notice. He did turn around and Nightshade tensed, but he had an entirely different demeanor this time around. He seemed to be a lot happier.

Bi-polar much?

He reached out and took one of the Doctor's hands shaking it in an exaggerated fashion, "I'm so sorry Doctor! Please forgive me! I shouldn't have overreacted. Garamatica is always telling me I assume far too much. You and your friends are welcomed to my house anytime! We will even bring out the clean rats for you!" He smirked as if amused, "with your sensitive homo sapien immune systems and all." He let go of the Doctor's hand and waved to them all, before getting on all fours and bolting back to the enclosed area of the city.

"Doctor, I'm not having my first meal in eight years be rats." Nightshade hissed, before getting in front of him. "Now, untie me before another one of your psycho bi-polar friends shows up!"

The Doctor couldn't help the slight smile that graced his face before untying her, he turned to look at their current comrade.

"How did you know his wife was back?" He asked curiously, for all he knew Blaze was friends with them.

"...I don't, I don't know who that is. Red told me that telling him his wife was back was the best way to subdue him." He admitted with a shrug, he looked over his shoulder not noticing both their suddenly alarmed expressions. "I do feel bad for him. He's just...really scared of being left alone by the one he loves." He paused a long moment, his reddish brows furrowing. "I can understand that." the redhead took a breath and turned back to them. "But Red also told me to come and tell you that in the memory banks is a reference to the tirosik you are looking for." He fidgeted and gripped the hem of his sweater's sleeve. "There are some unsavory human merchants that have it. They like to cause problems throughout the city. I don't know how you plan on getting your hands on it." He mumbled and looked up at them from under his long and messy bangs.

"...um, and who might your sleep deprived friend here be?" Nightshade cut in before the Doctor could, looking at him, half annoyed with his clearly troubled friends, and half bothered that she was still partially restrained due to his distraction.

"Oh right!" He exclaimed, and once again forgetting her restraints he motioned between them. "This is Blaze, and Blaze this is Night, the associate I was speaking of before." he smiled and motioned to her. "I found her!"

Blaze smiled at her softly, at that she blinked in surprise her wings pinching behind her back best they could. "Hello." She nodded in response, the Doctor then turned to Blaze once again.

"Yes, so, you were saying something about the unsavory humans who have the tirosik?" He encouraged, and Blaze blinked turning to face him.

"Yes, well, they have started their own little human gang on the other side of the city, they terrorize the locals around the area. I try and stray away from...populated areas." He trailed looking to the side.

"Not a people person eh?" Nightshade interjected. "I get that." She turned and narrowed her eyes at the Doctor. "This one however is mister chatty Charlie."

"There is nothing wrong with being friendly." He countered, she rolled her eyes and turned back to Blaze who smiled an odd sort of smile that made Nightshade wonder if he wasn't telling them something.

"You..could say something like that, I don't really like attracting attention." He muttered scratching the back of his head sheepishly. "It's better for me to just be...in the shadows." He took a breath ignoring Nightshade's suspicious gaze and the Doctor's curious one. "Anyways, I've heard lots of rumors, I can show you their home base." He offered, and the Doctor nodded with a smile.

"That would be very helpful, thanks." He took a breath and adjusted his tie, "well, let's best get going huh?" He turned to Nightshade and winked, "sooner we can get the mask off the better eh?"

"Right now I'm a bit more concerned with getting something else off right now." She gazed at him pointedly, he frowned confused and then his eyes flickered down to her restraints, his eyes widened.

"Oh! Right! Of course, sorry." He pulled out his sonic and ran it over the ropes, they collapsed into a pile around her feet. She glared at him and he frowned, putting his sonic away. "What?"

Blaze looked amused at them, and Nightshade shook her head and turned to Blaze, "can we get going?"

The young man nodded and led the way toward the opposite side of the city from where he came from.

The Doctor frowned and followed after, catching up with Blaze, rather wanting to be closer to the friendlier one of their current trio.

"So what made you come and help us?" He inquired curiously, Blaze paused a moment in walking, not responding before turning to him and offering a slight smile.

"I won't ever ignore someone who needs help." At that the Doctor smiled.

"Blaze, I think you and I are going to get along just fine."

"Okay, yeah, bromance aside, let's get off this blasted purple rock as soon as possible." Nightshade grumbled from behind them, arms crossed.

"Right...right, yeah, sorry." Blaze muttered before turning and leading them into the narrow city streets.

~A~

The area that Blaze led them into was not one that exuded friendliness. Trash lined the now dirt streets, and the people and aliens who sat leaning against the building glared at them at varying degrees of murderous intentions. Nightshade glared back her wings flaring out a bit more to make her look bigger. The Doctor looked sad, and Blaze skittered about shyly avoiding everyone.

They walked further into the darker city, Blaze seemed to get more anxious and nervous as they did, as the lights around them darkened, as the city entered an artificial night. Nightshade couldn't help but pause and notice that their small companion...was glowing.

Blaze was currently gazing at a cross section trying to find their next path, when Nightshade tugged on the Doctor's sleeve and pointed at him.

The boy was giving off a soft red glow, his whole body seemed to radiate it, and he was like a walking glow stick. She raised an eyebrow at the Doctor, who's brow furrowed and he gazed at him a long moment, but decidedly chose not to ask anything.

Not yet.

When they were finally on the path Blaze had chosen, they walked down the road and things seemed to go from dirt poor to filthy rich. The contrast was evident, the clothes got nicer, as did the appearance of the humans, and the lack of aliens as they grew closer to the only lit building in the area.

Blaze paused as they stood before a security gate, he gazed up at the almost glowing building, his own soft red glow seemed diminished in comparison, he turned to face them, opened his mouth to speak, when the gate slide apart, opening up in the middle to reveal a smug looking man. Despite what one would assume, he didn't look like he should be filthy rich, he wore simple clothes, an even simpler appearance. Blaze froze at the sound of the gate opening and he swallowed.

"Well, what do we have here?" The man inquired gazing at them all with a curiosity that masked the malice in his eyes.

The Doctor was perhaps the bravest, and the more outgoing one as he approached the man. He smiled and held up a paper that he had pulled from his pocket.

"Hello, I'm the Doctor, chief inspector of the corporate alliance of humans in the Giria industries, and my partner here are investigating the recent spike in money flow toward your company." He turned and motioned to Nightshade, "this is Nightshade our bodyguard, so no funny business." He leaned in and held a hand up as if to block his next words from Nightshade, "she's a bit trigger happy, we are discussing it but it is still a thing with her." He then turned and motioned to Blaze who had only recently turned back around, his head down and he swallowed quietly. "And this is my partner Blaze Red, he is a bit shy so play nice." He warned lightly, before smiling. "So if you wouldn't mind just showing us around that would be wonderful." He gave off a friendly smile, but the guy didn't seem to be swayed in any way.

"We just had an inspection." He responded easily, "an hour ago."

"Oh, well, we are the secondary inspection, it's a new protocol that was put in place just to be sure no one is hiding anything." the time-lord continued to smile at him, "not that we would suspect you of anything of course." He added easily.

The two men stared at each other a long moment, as if daring the other to back down first. Nightshade sighed.

She could've just killed the guy already.

"Fine." The man finally conceded, he stepped aside and motioned for them to enter, the Doctor smiled and walked inside, Nightshade followed, and Blaze skittered in after them.

All three of them felt the man's eyes on them.

"What would you like to see?" He inquired, gazing at them with no hint of emotion crossing over his face, Nightshade found herself frustrated at her lack of ability to read what his intentions were. So frustrated she had to look away. She took a hard breath and looked around in the courtyard they were in. Despite the brown and yellow hue the whole city seemed to have, she could almost call this place beautiful.

All sorts of exotic plants surrounded them, some of them even moved and adjusted themselves as though they were alive and sentient.

Sentient was perhaps the better word. All plants were alive after all.

"Well, you know." The Doctor's voice pulled her from her thoughts and sightseeing as she looked back over to him. He did as she was doing moments ago, he looked around and had that odd expression on his face again, it was like his 'thinking of an excuse' expression. It almost looked like a sort of pout, but in a way that looked contemplative. "This and that, afterall, we must inspect everything right?" He diverted all his attention over to a red leafed and blue flowered plant that sat on the ground to their left, he went over to it and stroked the leaves, "you know the Ovisha only grow on the mountain tops of the Gallais system?" He turned to them and questioned, before turning back to the plant. "They bloom every once...oh give or take a thousand years? It's a pretty rare occurrence, species flock there from all over. Just to see the flowers bloom..." he trailed off with this seemingly random tidbit of information about the plant he petted. He stroked the red leaves for another moment, staying silent. The man who let them in seemed annoyed. He took a breath crossing his arms.

"Do you have a point? I would rather get along with this inspection, we have a lot of work to do around here." He remarked tersely, Nightshade's hand hadn't released her gun since they had walked through the door. But she refrained.

For now.

"Well yes in fact, I do have a point." He turned to face him and as he did he also picked up the pot with the red leaves and blue flower in it.

"Be careful with that!" The man cried before coming over and removing it from the Doctor's hands. "It's worth more than all four of us combined!" He placed it back on it's pedestal. "Now Doctor I must insist you don't touch the plantlife."

"Right, of course, because you wouldn't want anyone to figure it out now would you?" He questioned with a raised eyebrow, the man sighed as if annoyed.

"Figure out what?" he demanded, the Doctor merely held up a hand to reveal red paint crumbs.

"Well that you are all conmen of course." The man froze and his eyes narrowed.

"You have no proof." He growled, Nightshade went over and curiously poked one of the moving pants. Only for it to not react at all. She prodded it more, but nothing.

"Yeah...it's...all fake." She muttered gazing at everything interested, and then paused turning to the Doctor. "But wait...if it's all fake, then do they actually have the Tirosik?" She questioned, and couldn't help but feel that familiar disappointed feeling fill her.

She knew it was asking too much to hope.

"That depends." He told her, before turning back to the angry man, "this guy is dirt broke like the rest of the town, the only reason his house is this big is because he steals the resources that are supposed to go to the city around him. That's why everyone on the streets are so malnourished. You're hogging all the food and supplies in your ivory tower of lies!" He cried, sounding almost angry, the man swallowed, but still glared.

"Do you know how hard it is for a human to make it out here in places like this? Where there are beings who can literally eat us!" He took a hard breath and motioned around, "okay, well maybe the plants are fake, maybe we aren't the most honest people." He turned and glared at the Doctor, "but we are aggressive people, so you better keep these facts to yourself Doctor man." He threatened slowly, Nightshade tensed her grip on the gun tightening, but a look from the Doctor merely told her to wait. She growled under her breath but did just that.

"Alright, I'll keep my mouth shut, so long as you agree to three conditions." The man's eyes narrowed but he didn't protest, "one, you stop stealing the supplies, two you get a real job, and three, you bring us the item that removed the place that once sat here, prior to yours." The Doctor told him, all jokes and kidding aside, he gazed evenly at him, leaving no room for argument.

The man gazed at him, clearly unhappy with this, "I can just have you three killed."

"Try that and you're dead within the second." Nightshade growled, he turned and looked at her, his eyes narrowing, but catching the sight of her grip on the weapons. He took a deep breath and turned back to the Doctor.

"Fine. I'll take you to the device." He took a breath and led them into the inner part of the courtyard, he moved aside some thorny bushes with a stick, only to reveal a dark grey box with an intricate lock on it. He leaned down and pulled out a key from under his shirt and used it to open the box. Within it was just what appeared to be variation of the Doctor's screwdriver, but the haunting warning at the bottom of it was enough to convey the potential unsettling nature it could have. It was something that made things vanish permanently.

It was essentially an isolated ray gun. Nightshade couldn't help but rub the knobs on her mask with both anxiety and excitement. Something like that could definitely remove them, But the fear came into play with how she didn't know how much it could potentially hurt, she shouldn't really be caring about pain that much. But...she couldn't help it.

The man reluctantly handed it over to the Doctor and took a deep breath.

"That is very valuable and real." He told him, terse that he was having to give it up. The Doctor took it and put the box in one of his many pockets.

"See? That wasn't so hard." He adjusted his tie almost smugly, "now, I don't want to hear about stealing anymore, understand?" He pointed at him warningly, "get a proper job, and stop discriminating against your neighbors." The man's eyes merely narrowed and he crossed his arms not responding. The Doctor gazed at him a moment and went back over to Nightshade and Blaze, but as his back was turned, the man reached into a pocket and withdrew a knife, Nightshade caught sight of it, and pulled out her gun, she wordlessly shot his wrist, he cried out and dropped the weapon he was holding. The Doctor whipped around, and then turned and sent Nightshade a look, she stiffened and glared.

"He's still alive!" She protested, "He was trying to kill you!"

The Doctor sighed and went over, he tried to get down to help him, but the man spat and swore at him before running off.

The time lord sighed and stood up, he turned back to Nightshade.

"Well, we best get back to the Tardis." She nodded and he turned to Blaze, offering a smile. "Thank you for your help." He held out a hand, "it was very nice to meet you, I hope our paths cross again someday."

But Blaze didn't take his hand, he gazed at it for a long moment fidgeting. "Can I ask a favor?" His voice was soft and he gazed at the ground, the Doctor blinked but put his hand down.

"Sure, what is it?"

"Can you take me to earth?" He paused and shifted, "maybe...I can find my friends."

The Doctor smiled and nodded, "sure." He smirked and started heading back toward the main courtyard of the city. "You are really going to like my ship, it is the best ship of them all!" He exclaimed, Nightshade rolled her eyes and followed after the both of them.

~A~

Blaze stood there gazing at the inside of the Tardis wide eyed, the Doctor was grinning, Nightshade sat crouched in the captain's chair, her wings slumping lazily behind her.

"It's..." Blaze started and the Doctor grinned broadly expectantly, "...a pocket dimension yeah?" He asked, the Doctor blinked and his grin faded.

"Er, yeah, yeah it is...wait how do you..."

"I'm familiar with alternate dimensions and parallel worlds." Blaze supplied, Nightshade raised an eyebrow at that, and the Doctor seemed a bit disappointed as he turned back to the console, pouting a tad. Blaze came in and over to the console and looked around curiously. He paused before reaching up a hand and brushing it against the central column. The Tardis hummed around them causing the Doctor and Nightshade to look around and then look at Blaze confused. "She's sentient...isn't she?" He turned to look at the Doctor, "like Red...but better." Then his eyes flashed in a red glow and he flinched grimacing. "Sorry."

The Doctor and Nightshade gazed at him bemused, "um...yeah...how..." the Doctor trailed.

"I just...get feelings sometimes. Senses...that don't make sense, but...Red translates them for me." He supplied and took a breath looking a bit awkward.

"So, earth then?" Nightshade interjected, looking at both of them impatiently, "oh yeah, and um. The mask?" She asked pointedly looking at the Doctor, he blinked and turned to her.

"Right! Yes, of course." He turned to Blaze, "do you mind waiting for a little bit? I'm going to send her into the vortex, we got the tirosik to get Night's mask off." He explained, and Blaze nodded easily.

"Yeah, no problem." He looked up at the console as if lost in thought. The Doctor frowned, a bit but then nodded, and turned to Nightshade.

"Alright, lets go to the med bay to get that off."

She nodded and hopped down from the chair and followed after him as Blaze gazed quietly up at the console, his eyes softly glowing, and a small smile on his face.

~A~

Nightshade sat swinging her legs, sitting on the edge of the medical bay bed, the Doctor was figuring out the mechanics of the device, and she watched carefully. Trying to ignore the twisting in her gut.

She shouldn't be anxious, she should be glad! Happy!

Okay just glad was probably more accurate for her.

But still, she felt anxious. What if it hurt her? What if it didn't work? All this build up and the mask never came off. How could she be sure she could trust him? Sure he had been thus far trustful, but how did she know that he would stay that way? She barely knew him...and she was letting him put a serious and quite possibly dangerous item to her face!

Perhaps her anxiety was evident, because the Doctor spoke up first, "it's okay." He turned to her, and looked at her seriously, "I won't let it hurt you." Nightshade gazed at him a long moment not saying anything. Before giving a curt nod.

"Let's get this done." At that he smiled, and nodded.

"Alright, now hold still, I have a steady hand, but lurching can cause you to get hurt." Nightshade nodded and both relaxed and stiffened herself, positioning her wings to help hold her up. The Doctor got next to her side and got in position.

She heard the device hum to life, and felt her insides clench with anxiety. The sound of a laser was not something terribly pleasing, but it was what it was, she felt a sense of heat inside of her jaw, and she couldn't help but clench it, her stomach churning painfully. She so badly wanted to jerk away, to pull away and push him. But she restrained herself, and stayed perfectly still. Her feathers ruffled every few seconds, but it was not as often as it would be without restraint.

She stiffened at the spike of heat that surged through her, he mumbled an apology as he focused, soon enough the heat was gone, and she felt a sharp pain, the pain of an open wound. The Doctor pulled back and took a breath.

"Okay, the first one is out." He grabbed a cotton ball and placed it over her wound, then tied it to one of the knobs on the mask. "We'll have to dress those wounds after this. You may not be able to speak comfortably for a while, but I have some stuff that should ease the pain and expedite the healing." She nodded only slightly, the pain starting to creep up on her, especially with the cotton ball brushing up against it. He nodded, understanding her silence and going to her other side. He took a breath and began on the second one.

It went much like the first, the growing heat, the minor spike, and then the cool air that entered. The spike of pain that followed that with the placement of the cotton ball.

He took a breath and stepped back. He placed the device down on the table, "I doubt you want me to give you an injection and I don't want to touch the wounds, so can you hang on till I get the mask off so I can give it to you orally." She nodded again, fists clenched but staying quiet, eyes on the ground. He then gazed over her mask and began to take it apart piece by piece. As he had said, it was deceivingly intricate, besides the screws, it was very easy to remove it. That wasn't the hard part, the hard part was watching her eyes widen a fraction more each time air hit her face. The hard part was gazing at the impressions the mask had left, having been there for so long it was almost ridiculous. It wasn't physically hard to see all this, but it kept him silent. Which not many things could do.

He didn't ramble, or make light of it. He probably should, keep her mind off of it, especially when he had to remove the knobs and remove the now soaked with blood cotton balls, before placing on large bandaids to cover the...gaps where the screws had been.

But he couldn't bring himself to talk.

When things sobered him like this, it truly sobered him up.

He wasn't sure if he was angry, or sad. Or maybe both.

He knew there was darkness in the universe, he faced it within himself day in and day out, he faced it in the evil forces that pledged to destroy all life in their selfish ambition to become rulers, or whatever their end goal was.

But sometimes, he tried to look away from it, focusing on the good. And to be brought so close to something so evil done to someone for no other reason then the heck of it. It was disturbing.

He couldn't help but look up at her face occasionally, watching the blankness of it, the only slight and occasional movement as parts of the mask were removed, he could see her jaw shifting. He could tell she itched to open it wide, but held still as ordered to. He was lucky she didn't catch him staring, he made sure to keep his glances quick.

And when he finally got to the mouth-piece, he started to remove it like the other's only for her to stiffen up and hiss, wings flaring out behind her. He hesitated, his hands hovering over it as he recalled what she had said earlier.

The Doctor gazed at her, "Night...what did you mean it was meant to inflict pain when you spoke?" He asked carefully, watching her expression.

"I...I don't remember what it looked like when it went in. But...from what I can feel. They have...spikes. Whatever is in my mouth has several spikes, they tend to cut up the inside when I speak." She mumbled, he nodded slowly.

"It's not going to be fun for you, them coming out." At that she nodded. He took a breath. "So it's either open your mouth and inflict pain on your jaw, or keep it closed and inflict pain on your mouth." He concluded, and she didn't hesitate a second, opening up her mouth. He gazed at her a second before slowly removing the glowing mouthpiece.

The Doctor couldn't help but swallow down bile as he pulled out the horrifying looking spikes from her mouth. She flinched only slightly.

There were old...blood stains. He swallowed and put it down before turning back to her and offering a small and soft smile.

"All gone." she paused and didn't move for a second, before very slowly lifting her hands and putting them on either side of her face. Her eyes widened and she gave a small gasp, he smiled a bit more, he wasn't sure what to feel. Sad that something so simple as touching one's face had been deprived from her, or happy that he had been able to bring that back to her.

He decided both were probably appropriate.

"If you remove your gloves...it would probably feel nicer." He suggested lightly, she paused looking up at him before pulling her hands away and looking at them. Slowly she closed her fists and counted to five three times on both hands, the gloves hissed, and down the center a glowing line appeared, they parted from the center and opened up to reveal her pale hands under it. She placed them down on the table and gazed at her hands then slowly put them on her face. She screwed her eyes shut with a breath and took a shuddering breath. The Doctor smiled softly.

"Better?" She opened her eyes and looked at him from under her long and raven colored bangs.

For a brief moment her dark brown eyes met his amber ones, before she looked away and nodded slightly.

"Yeah...lots."

He couldn't help but stare a moment or two longer. He wasn't totally certain why. But he reasoned it was because of many things, one of them being the marvel of being able to see...interact...and talk with another of his own kind. Or glad that he could help her feel better...or maybe, well maybe it was because this was the first time he had seen her without a mask, that had blocked the majority of her features.

She didn't really strike someone as beautiful at first glance, with her haggard and rough appearance, messy hair, and often angry and cross glances.

It was not an innocent kind of beauty, it wasn't exotic or captivating. He was sure she needed a shower or two.

But...it was there, a bit under the dirt and grime, she was beautiful.

He was certain however, that she would shoot him if he told her that.

The Doctor took a breath and got up to get the medication, not noticing her gaze on him.

"Doctor?" she called softly, wiping away the blood that spilled a bit from her mouth from all the cuts.

He turned to face her, as he glanced periodically down at the medication trying to find the bottles meant for their kind.

Most of it was human stuff. The last thing he needed was to give her aspirin.

"Um...my name." He looked up at that from her, "my name, it's not really Nightshade." She mumbled and rubbed the back of her neck, "it's Joey. Joey Byrd."

**A/N: Whew! Mask removal and name reveal! (Though if you follow the Instagram page blazingnightshade you probably already knew it. (There you can find art for both oc's and I even plan on doing some art for the Doctor as well! On there I will try and announce if a chapter is late or not just to let you guys know, so if you are interested you can find the account on instagram. :))**

**Self-page-promotion aside, I hope you guys liked the chapter! If you are interested in seeing more original chapters like this, let me know in the reviews! And if you have any questions about Blaze or Nightshade, please, feel free to ask! **

**I wanted to say thank you to my reviewers! I really do appreciated it, they always make me smile when I see them, so you are heard! And I do very much appreciate the reviews and the follows! I'm so glad people like my characters and the way I'm writing things! **

**Next chapter will be Smith and Jones, introduction of Martha! And during that you'll find out more about Blaze and Nightshade (of course). **

**Thank you all and stay safe! **

**Earthian. **


	10. Smith and Jones: Feelings I don't know

**A/N: Hello! I hope everyone is staying safe and not pulling their hair out from cabin-fever! This chapter doesn't get very far into the episode itself, but it does introduce something that won't be revealed for awhile, and it talks some about Blaze himself. **

**So I hope you guys enjoy! **

**DECLAIMER: I do not own Doctor who or anything associated with it, that belongs to BBC**

**I do however own Blaze and Joey, and everything associated with them. **

Earth. Earth was supposedly the planet that humans came from, the planet that she had resided in.

But this wasn't her earth.

That was something that had been made clear to her not even too long ago.

This earth was nice...and friendly, people didn't curse each other on the streets or glare one another down. This place was so unfamiliar, and despite this being her second time on this version.

It still felt like an alien planet.

In her stool she fidgeted, her wings shuffling behind her, but only a tad, not wanting to knock the person that sat almost uncomfortably close behind her, but to be honest if it hadn't been for her wings, it really wouldn't have been a problem.

Speaking of said annoying appendages, the reason no one was gawking and staring like the rude idiots they were, was merely because of something the Doctor called a…'perception filter'. It was supposed to trick the mind into thinking something wasn't really there. He said he had to modify it so it didn't erase her completely from someone's mind, but it seemed to be working just fine to her.

She preferred not to be noticed anyways.

Despite the Doctor claiming that the perception filter worked very well, and very easily on humans and other species. Blaze seemed to have no problem noticing her and her wings.

Much to her annoyance.

As for Blaze himself, whom the Doctor kept glancing periodically at, he sat hunched over his coffee, stirring it with a stick and staring into it's dark depths. He had insisted on black. The Doctor had wanted tea, Nightshade, or...as she had admitted recently to the Doctor, Joey had just ended up staring at the menu unable to decide.

Unable to comprehend the fact that she could now _have_ the items on the menu.

The thought that she could eat was extremely jarring. It was something she had come to terms with so long ago, that the concept of doing it now was completely flooring.

She had stood and stared at it for so long the customers behind her started to complain loudly, but she only noticed that when the Doctor lightly put a hand on her shoulder and ordered some tea for her as well. He then had turned and smiled that it would be something light to start with.

Her twenty-five hour formula had worn off, and in the Tardis she wasn't sure how long she had slept after passing out mere moments after they had spoken with Blaze, but she was sure the Doctor had said something about a day or so.

She wasn't that surprised, but it left her starving all the more.  
At the recall of their conversation with the young man she couldn't help her gaze that fixated itself upon him.

He was almost as perplexing as the Doctor.

She couldn't remember much from the conversation, everything had been like she was looking and hearing through a fog over her brain, but she did recall him mentioning his 'friends' once or twice, he had requested they go to someplace named Yorkton.

Not that she knew what the heck that place was.

The Doctor had...surprisingly admitted the same. He looked at him brow furrowed, and that seemed to make the young man's entire demeanor falter, and his very emotional features betray him. He had..._very_ quietly asked if the Doctor could check to make sure such a place didn't exist...the Doctor didn't really hesitate before doing that.

Only to tell him that it didn't.

That seemed to completely crush the boy, he had gone very quiet, for a very good while, looking lost and confused, muttering under his breath and scratching his head.

The last thing she remembered was the Doctor suggesting a tea shop...before everything went black.

She couldn't help but have wondered though, why was this man so obsessed with tea?

Her eyes flickered down to her tea that sat presently before her. She hadn't touched it, but more out of habit than anything. The Doctor was already on his second cup and kept glancing between both his silent companions.

"So," he finally cut through their little bubble of silence, his eyes finally settling on Blaze, "what do you plan on doing now?" He asked lightly, but his eyes flickered over the young boy, almost concerned.

Blaze gazed down at his black coffee silently for a good long few minutes, he didn't say anything, and didn't move, and then, like a delay. He jumped in surprise and looked up at the Doctor, his eyes a bit puffy and bloodshot.

Had there been tears falling and they hadn't noticed?

"W...what?" he stammered, and seemed as though he was trying to re-focus on reality.

"What do you want to do now?" The Doctor asked patiently, Blaze paused a long moment and gave a little shrug.  
"I'm...not sure." He turned and looked out the windows that lined the walls of the tea shop, "the people here look nice. I can probably hang out around here. Until I'm shooed away."

"Have a habit of getting kicked out of places?" Joey questioned with a raised eyebrow.  
"Sort of..." he trailed and scratched the side of his head where Joey was sure he would get a bald spot. "I...tend to scare people away."

Neither of them asked how, they could see why.

He had a variety of odd ticks and behaviors, from muttering to himself and looking like he was having a conversation with someone else. Then there was the constant scratching, he was either always clawing at his head or at the spot over his heart. Both wouldn't be surprised to learn that he had deep bruises there.

But neither of them felt comfortable bringing that up to him, though they suspected that he already knew.

"I see." The Doctor spoke up softly breaking the awkward silence that had lapsed over them. Joey took a breath before turning back to her tea stirring it a bit with the spoon but not yet daring to try it. She glanced up at the Doctor as he shifted in his seat. He took a breath and another swig of his coffee before turning to Blaze. "Well, perhaps until you get on your feet, you could hang out with Night and I." He offered with a smile.

Joey frowned at him at that.

It had become a Night and I' situation now. How did she end up like this? Bound to an odd man in his blue box. She should just leave, sneak out this tea shop while he was distracted and make a break for it. Sure this wasn't her earth, but humans were humans, and given the right persuasion she did not doubt they would fall in line.

She should.

But she knew she wouldn't.

For the first time in her life, she felt no desire to run, no desire to flee and hide.

She..._wanted_ to stay.

That was an unfamiliar and slightly frightening feeling, she _really_ shouldn't be getting attached like this. She shouldn't be finding herself relieved when he was by her side. She shouldn't be finding any sort of comfort and peace in their odd dynamic. She shouldn't find the back and forth enjoyable.

She really _shouldn't_.

But she did.

Even now, in a very crowded shop, yes, she felt anxious, her knee bounced, and she glanced frequently at the doors that led to the exit. But...she didn't feel caged, and when she did feel especially anxious…

She felt an unexplainable urge to glance to her right and make sure the Doctor was still with her.

She wasn't pleased with these feelings, she should truly know better. If her life had taught her anything, it was that people were despicable and deserved about as much mercy as she had been shown.

Which had been none.

Yet...this...this _pacifist. _

This ornery man whose methods and rules drove her up the wall in a maddening desire to defy them.

This...self-proclaimed Doctor, he had someone worked and warmed his way into her safety protocols.

It was completely infuriating.

Blaze looked up again pulling her attention to him and away from her introspective thoughts.

"Come with...you?" He asked quietly, looking slightly confused.

"For a few trips." The Doctor added quickly, "until you can figure out what you want to do."

"I don't...I don't know..." Blaze trailed off rubbing his hands together before his cup. "It would be easier for me to just stay here. I'm not really an easy person to be around for extended periods of time." He scratched the side of his head toward the end of that. The Doctor raised an eyebrow and motioned to Joey who caught his movement and scowled at him.

"I'm sure you're nothing compared to her." He added with a slight smirk, Joey narrowed her eyes.

"Hey, you aren't exactly a walk in the park 'mister, I talk a mile a minute.'" She grumbled with a glare in his direction. But he just turned back to Blaze.

"Listen kid, a few trips couldn't hurt anyone right? Plus I have a lot of questions about you that I need answered. I figured, if I take you on trips, you can answer some of my questions. How does that sound?" He offered, and Blaze smiled slightly.

"Okay, deal."

"Great!" The Doctor exclaimed, he fixed his tie, and pulled out his sonic. "Now, since we are agreed, I figured before we could go check out some alien planets, we can do some investigation here. I was getting some strange readings from a hospital nearby." He smirked at them both, "wanna check it out?"

Blaze tilted his head and leaned in slightly, a curious light in his eyes, "what is going on at the hospital?" He asked a slightly obvious question, but he was rather engaged, which surprised Joey considering his previous passive nature about pretty much everything else.

The Doctor smirked broadly, "that's what we are going to find out." He got up before turning and pointing at Joey who raised an eyebrow. "But don't think you can get away with not having anything. The last thing we need is for you to be collapsing in the middle of a dangerous situation."

"Wait...how can you know it's going to be dangerous?" Blaze asked curiously, his head tilted slightly.

"Oh, it always ends up that way. Whether I intend it or not." He mused the last part, and Joey got up, not having touched her tea.

"It's like he attracts danger. At least..." she trailed at her complete certainty in that knowledge, how exactly did she know this for certain? Sure, she had seen it twice now, but...was that enough to warrant such a serious certainty about it?

She wasn't certain.

Absentmindedly her hand traveled to her face, slightly holding it, it had become a very recent habit, especially when she felt a breeze brush up against the newly bare skin. It was extremely disorienting. But...she loved how free her mouth felt now. Sure her jaw ached something awful, even with the medication she was on, she wasn't going to be attempting full mouth opening until those wounds, and the ones inside her mouth were healed up sufficiently.

"Anyways" the Doctor's voice cut into her thoughts and she looked up, her hand still gently resting against her face. Lightly brushing the tips of her fingers against her cheek and she couldn't help but feel fascinated by the sensation. "I'm going to get a protein shake for Night, and then we can head over to the hospital." He went over to the little refrigerator that the shop had and examined it for the right drink.

Joey and Blaze watched him for a second before they turned back to their respective drinks. Blaze took a long drink of his coffee and then turned and looked at Joey. He paused for a moment and shifted.

"So how long have you been traveling with him?" He asked lightly, trying to make conversation.

Joey looked up from her tea and raised an eyebrow, "not long."

"Oh, is also taking you on some trips?"

"I don't know what he is calling it." She mumbled, stirring her tea.

"You guys seem close." He offered up watching her expression, only for her to scoff.

"I wouldn't call it close, more like a constant strain not to bite each other's heads off." But at that his brow furrowed.

"I didn't get that impression." He offered, but she just shook her head with a breath.

"We have rather contrasting views on things."

"But...I think that...kinda works? I mean..." he trailed eyes getting distant, "sometimes your best friend could have a completely opposing worldview." He let out a breath, his whole body seemed to deflate, like an unexplainable weight dropped onto his shoulders and settled there. Joey watched him curiously as the change in his demeanor occured.

He swallowed hard and downed another long sip of his coffee and took a hard breath. Joey's eyes however, narrowed as they focused on the shaking of the liquid in the cup he held.

He was trembling.

Before she had the option to ask him about it, not that she would, but before she did. The Doctor returned with a thick pink cream colored drink contained in a plastic bottle. He set it before her with a smile.

"Lucky for us I had some spare change to pay for the drinks. Just don't tell them that it's about two centuries old." He grabbed his coat from the chair, and made the dramatic motion of swinging it around and putting it on. He adjusted it and raised an eyebrow with a breath. "Ready?" He asked, and Joey nodded grabbing the drink, her tea left untouched. Blaze got up after downing the last bit of his coffee. His hands shaking so much he hid them under his arms as he hugged his torso. He nodded but didn't say a word. The Doctor glanced over him briefly before heading toward the door. Joey got up and followed after and Blaze trailed quietly after them.

His eyes burned a tad, and he quickly wiped away the mistiness they gained before anyone could notice.

**~A~**

Joey felt quite silly standing there next to the Doctor as he half laid half sat in a hospital bed. He wasn't sick, no not at all. He just needed an excuse to get into the hospital that had some odd coils around the outside. They were awfully suspicious looking, especially after she learned that they were not a common occurrence in this version of earth.

He also was in a different outfit then his now more usual blue suit and red tied suit with the brown trench coat. He wore a sort of gown that was similar to the other residents of the place they were in.

Her eyes flickered over to their companion. Blaze, he hadn't said a word since their conversation in the tea shop. Even the absent-minded Doctor seemed to notice. While they had been in the waiting room, the Doctor tried to speak to the boy, liven him up a bit, but Blaze had only given non-vocal and non-committal responses, in a small smile or a nod of his head. He hadn't stopped hugging himself and hiding his hands, letting the large sweater swallow him up.

But no matter, if he wanted to be silent, he could be silent for all she cared. She looked around the hospital at all the sick people that surrounded them. It was such an odd sight to see so many ill people all together. Where she came from, hospitals were usually used as home bases for the mad scientist or two. And never, never would one see this many ill people gathered up in one place. It provided far too many easy victims for the antsy young warlords trying to prove themselves.

She shook her head, removing herself from those thoughts, her attention pulled to the inside of her mouth. She licked her teeth again, as if trying to remove the...taste, or was it smell? It was unclear, but..._something_ being her mouth besides her saliva and blood…

Well it just felt weird.

Her whole body felt...odd, her stomach didn't feel nearly as empty, she had an odd...taste in her mouth. She couldn't really describe it.

When she had first tried the protein drink she had gasped at the sensation of tasting something besides the metallic one of blood. And...it was..._sweet_. She didn't know how else to describe it. They had been in the waiting room at the time, and the Doctor had insisted that she drink it. Despite her lack of desire to do so, she did as told. When she did…

She couldn't really explain the feeling, she was just so...shocked, she sat there for a good few minutes, despite the stinging of her healing wounds she swished the drink around her mouth, enjoying every sensation and taste it provided. The Doctor had been smiling, but she wasn't sure why. Perhaps it was amusement, perhaps not. But at the time she didn't care. She swallowed it...and when she did, that horribly dry and scratchy feeling that always resided in her throat...just disappeared.

The whole thing was surreal. She drank the whole thing, and while she felt occasional bouts of queasiness, even she knew that was because her stomach was confused by the current contents within it. She knew she had a very long way to go before she could eat a proper meal. But the protein drink along with some antibiotics were helping provide her with the energy to function. After she had the drink she had been slowly nursing a small paper cup of water that sat in her hand. The other one was still lightly touching her own face, but careful not to hit the bandages.

She stiffened up as the curtain besides her was pulled aside, and there stood a small group in white lab coats.

Doctors.

She could feel her wings press up against her back tightly, _the _Doctor was probably the only good encounter she had ever had with the profession. The perception filter was working, but it still made her very anxious.

"Now then, Mister Smith, a very good morning to you. How are you today?" The older looking man of the group questioned, his attention obviously going to the man in the bed rather than his companions, who for an odd reason the Doctor had said they had to be listed as a family unit?

Why that mattered she didn't know, but he said without it they would've had to have stayed in the loud waiting room. Something neither she nor Blaze were too eager to do.

"Oh, not so bad. Still a bit, you know, blah." The Doctor told him with a bit of a shrug. The older man turned back to the group of younger people that Joey observed carefully. Perhaps they were still learning.

"John Smith, admitted yesterday with severe abdominal pains. Jones, why don't you see what you can find? Amaze me." He told a young darker toned woman, but Joey hardly paid attention.

#$# she hadn't even realized they had been here for that long.

So...how long ago had she drank that?

...she really didn't know.

Ugh, her brain was starting to idle.

This Jones woman approached the Doctor, making Joey step back to avoid her. Also position herself so her weapons weren't so obvious. She was good at hiding them, but if these people were anything like the Doctor she knew. Well, it was just easier to keep her weapons hidden from prying eyes. The perception filter helped out a lot in doing that. Jones pulled the stethoscope off her neck and started putting it into her ears. Looking down at the Doctor disapprovingly.

"That wasn't very clever, running around outside, was it?" She told him and Joey's brow furrowed, as did the Doctor's, Blaze however was gazing at the tiles on the ground.

"Sorry?" The Doctor clearly did not understand what she was saying, or not having memory of such an action. But Joey figured it was the latter.

"On Chancellor Street this morning? You came up to me and took your tie off." She explained looking at him curiously at his confusion. Joey raised an eyebrow at that, and the Doctor looked bemused at the thought of the action. But Joey wasn't really that surprised by it.

"Really? What did I do that for?" He questioned, but Martha just shrugged not having an answer.

"I don't know, you just did." She told him her brows furrowed inward slightly, but the Doctor shook his head.

"Not me. I was here, in bed. Ask the nurses. Or my friends here." He motioned to both Blaze and Joey, Joey gave a nod to Jones who glanced at her, but Blaze didn't seem to acknowledge anyone, lost in his own little world.

"Well, that's weird, cause it looked like you. Have you got a brother?" She questioned turning back to face the Doctor. He shook his head, looking a tad solemn.

"No, not anymore. Just me." There was a deeper meaning behind his words, something that passed over most heads, but Joey glanced over to him at his words, only for him to glance at her, for a brief moment searching her face. She averted her eyes and crossed her arms.

He was talking about the extinction of his, and supposedly her people.

She...knew it was true. It was hard to doubt it...but it was almost equally hard to believe it.

"As time passes and I grow ever more infirm and weary, Miss Jones." Cut in the older man that Joey was growing increasingly irritated with. Jones looked up and winced before turning back to the Doctor and getting the stethoscope ready.

"Sorry. Right." Joey couldn't help but watch interested as she placed the scope on his chest...only to frown and look confused. She looked up at the Doctor who smirked and winked at her. Joey shook her head, a bit amused. He may be an aggravating pacifist but he was very entertaining to watch.

However, not seeing the Doctor's wink, the older man sighed and looked up, as if begging for patience from above.

"I weep for future generations. Are you having trouble locating the heart, Miss Jones?" He questioned turning to look at her.

Jones looked up again, clearly flustered with this tidbit of information, Joey watched her carefully, not sure if she was going to say something about the double hearts or not. "Er, I don't know. Stomach cramps?" she guessed, and Joey tilted her head a bit.

Okay, interesting.

"That is a symptom, not a diagnosis. And you rather failed basic techniques by not consulting first with the patient's chart." He seemed about fed up with her now, he reached down and attempted to pick up the chart, only to fail epically as he was shocked by the metal clip. Joey tilted her head and couldn't help but peer closer. It was reacting off the large electrical current that flowed throughout the hospital. One her glasses and the Doctor's sonic had picked up.

The shock had caused him to drop it onto the ground, she frowned at the sight of that, but watched as he crouched down and grabbed the clipboard again, as he did the younger people in the small group took notice.

"That happened to me this morning." Jones cut in, gazing at the clipboard along with her fellow students.

"I had the same thing on the door handle." Added a young man in the small company.

"And me, on the lift." Added another in the group. But the older man just shook his head.

"That's only to be expected. There's a thunderstorm moving in and lightning is a form of static electricity, as was first proven by. Anyone?" He beckoned an answer looking at those around him. But this caused Joey to pause and frown.

She...did not know.

It was not something she ever really thought about, and to be fair she had never had any formal education.

But still...it was never something she thought of.

"Benjamin Franklin." The Doctor answered easily, the older man turned and nodded to him.

"Correct." He turned back to face his students.

But the Doctor only continued. "My mate, Ben. That was a day and a half. I got rope burns off that kite, and then I got soaked." Joey blinked at him, and _that_ seemed to finally attract the attention of Blaze. The young man looked up from his mutterings and looked at the Doctor curiously. The older man however stared at him with a bit of hesitancy and caution.

"Quite..." he trailed not certain.

"And then I got electrocuted." The Doctor added, and the older man stared at him for a long moment as if unable to decide what to say to that. Finally he turned back to his students.

"Moving on. I think perhaps a visit from psychiatric. And next we have..." he trailed off as he walked away, Jones hesitated a moment and exchanged a grin with the Doctor before following after her teacher.

"So what now?" Joey questioned watching the woman go, she turned to look at the Doctor who sat up more.

"Well, now we figure out what the real reason behind the static is."

"So it's something alien then?" She asked, glancing around.

"Either that or the construction workers decided coils would be a nice aesthetic for a hospital." He admitted before getting up, he stretched, having been in the bed for quite a few hours, and started heading away from his assigned place. Joey started to follow only to stop, freezing for a second and not entirely sure why she did.

It's like she was hit with a wall, she felt like she was stuck in place, slammed into by some invisible force. Her legs were locked, and she took soft but shuddering breaths. If it was just that, it would've been strange enough, but it wasn't.

Unexplainable feelings rushed through her in a disorienting hyperspeed fashion. She could only make out a few. The first that hit her was an intense blast of confusion, where all she could manage to think was _how?_ But why, and what, she did not know. It was the only thought that blasted through her brain in an intense and all encompassing way. All other thoughts were pushed aside in favor of this random blasting thought.

The next, was...what she could only describe as _pain_.

It was so much the lock on her legs broke and she collapsed onto her knees gasping hard and a hand to her chest, eyes wide. That caused the Doctor to turn around and Blaze to look at her confused, but both men coming over to check on her. They must've been speaking, she saw their lips moving, but she didn't hear them. All she heard was shouting, with voices, hissing, raspy voices. But they weren't speaking english, they were in a language she didn't understand. Screaming...screaming, so much screaming. Her hands went to her ears and she twisted up her face screwing her eyes shut, her breaths now came out in hard, hard pants. The pain perhaps lasted the longest. It was almost like this unexplainable force was trying to make a point to her.

Desperation is what followed, it was hard, it hit her with such a...craving? She didn't know, but it hit her hard and it _hurt_, it was laced with loneliness, she shivered and hugged herself gasping hard her eyes opening and widening. The screams were still there, loudly blaring in her ears, and her vision darkened at the corner, she felt herself shaking, but not in the same way that trembling made her feel. No...shaking as in _shook_ she was _being_ shaken. There was that obnoxious whirring sound.

As she heard these things, the episode, feelings, and screams started to fade. Soon the voices of those around her started growing louder.

"...Joey? Hey, hey look at me." The Doctor called, his voice sounding like it was coming through the fog. She looked up, barely catching a blur that she could make out as being the Doctor.

"Wh...wha..." she trailed, her tongue feeling like lead. She felt so incredibly weak, like her limbs were made of jelly.

"Joey." He said again, firmer now that he had her attention. His voice cleared up, and her vision soon followed, she could now make out Blaze who was slightly behind the Doctor looking concerned.

There they go again, confusing her.

"I'm...I'm fine…" She slurred, but didn't at all feel fine. She could feel her heart...s...pounding away in her chest. _ #$ %_. What _was_ that?

"Maybe...we should ask one of the doctors to take a look…?" Blaze asked softly, but the Doctor shook his head.

"No, we don't want questions to be asked." He told him gently, and Blaze's brow furrowed but then his eyes flickered to her back.

"Oh...right." He scratched the side of his head as the Doctor helped Joey to her feet.

"What happened?" The Doctor asked gently, she held her face and took a deep breath.

"I don't...I don't know..." she trailed feeling dizzy and unsteady. "I...I felt...things..."

The time-lord paused gazing at her semi concerned, "yes...is this your first time…?"

At that she snapped a tired glare at him, "no. I mean..." she took a hard breath and rubbed her face. "It...wasn't...my feelings...and..." she wobbled, "I'm...really dizzy..." she slurred the last bit. But he didn't respond. He gazed at her brow furrowed, a really intense look on his face. She gazed at him confused. "Doctor?"

He blinked and pulled back shaking his head, "sorry." He took a breath and turned to look around, "we should probably start checking things out." He turned back to her, "can you walk?"

"Do...you know what happened to her?" Blaze asked quietly, his eyes on the Doctor, clearly having picked up the same thing that she had. The Doctor however turned to her and made his contemplative/pout face and Joey knew he wasn't going to answer properly.

"Oh, it was probably a reflection of emotions she should've been feeling without her memories having been tampered with." He responded easily, but Joey gazed at him, somehow...just somehow instinctively knowing he was lying.

But Blaze just looked very confused, "she doesn't have her proper memories?"

"It's a long story. I'm apparently not human." She told him with a tired breath.

"Oh I knew that." He told her easily, and she frowned, her eyes narrowing.

"My wings?" She reasoned with an eyebrow raise.

"No, Red told me, plus all biometric readings say that you have a double heartbeat, and non-human DNA." He told her simply, Joey blinked at him and the Doctor did as well.

For a moment they all just stared at each other before the sound of rain distracted them. All their attention was attracted to the window that the rain pounded against...upside down…

"Well that's just wizard." The Doctor muttered going over to the window, Joey and Blaze following after. He gazed out of it, and the rain that flowed upside down to how it was normally supposed to go.

"I'm no expert, but I don't think rain is supposed to flow upside down..." Joey trailed, she took note that Blaze was standing close, she noted grimly that it was probably because he was there to catch her in case she fell.

Weirdly enough that was a soothing thought.

She wasn't sure she was liking how comfortable she was getting with these two.

But on the other hand, she was...sort of liking the comfort she felt around them.

"No, no, you're right, definitely out of the ordinary." The Doctor agreed with her, before turning to face them, "let's go find out shall we?"

**~A~**

First went the Doctor, then followed Joey, and as per usual Blaze followed behind them, they passed by where Jones was on the phone, Joey wasn't sure where the Doctor was going, but he was going there with determined strides.

**~A~**

Joey kept glancing out the window, watching the unnatural rain that flowed up instead of down. Blaze was muttering softly as the Doctor was scanning different things with his sonic.

"You lost someone...didn't you?" The soft voice of the young boy pulled Joey from her thoughts, apparently he had stopped his mutterings to speak to her. She turned to look at him confused.

"What?" She couldn't help but shift slightly at the strange yet somehow calculating look in his eyes.

She felt...like he was analyzing her.

"That look in your eye...from that episode earlier. You looked...heartbroken. Like you lost someone." He told her gently.

"No." She quickly said, but was a little alarmed at how quick she said it, "no, I don't have anyone to have lost." She then went over to the window and gazed at the rain. She felt those oddly soft red eyes on her, but she did her best to ignore them.

Only for the building to start to shudder and shake, as if tilting. Outside thunder boomed, and lightning flashed blindingly at them. Joey stumbled to the side crashing into a table to her left. Blaze stumbled as well, ending up falling _over_ a table and landing on the other side with a groan, the Doctor stumbled but grabbed onto a more stuck out beam that was central for keeping the building up. The building shook for a good long few minutes, and there were sounds of chaos from the hospital around them. Finally everything stilled, another groan came from Blaze, and Joey glanced up from where she was, only to see his dirty red converse sticking up in the air over the bed.

"What...was _that?_" Joey demanded with a breath as she got to her feet, the Doctor removed himself from the wall and looked over his sonic after running it over the walls, Blaze got up with a breath and put a hand on the bed to support himself scratching at his head.

Joey's eyes however were drawn to the window she had been looking out of moments before, only for her to pause and gaze out at the starry...night.

"Um..."

"Oi! Why don't you listen to me?" the Doctor demanded of his tool, ignoring Joey. Blaze caught sight of her gaze though and came over to where she stood also gazing out the window.

"I thought...it was day..." the young man muttered looking both confused and deeply concerned.

"Doctor..." Joey trailed gazing at the ground below them that no longer looked like a street.

"I don't understand it, sometimes it tells me _exactly_ what I want to know! Other times it's like it intentionally hides information from me!" He exclaimed still ignoring her. Her eyes narrowed and she went over and grabbed the sleeve of his hospital gown and dragged him over. She pointed out the window.

"We aren't on earth anymore." She told him, and he blinked gazing out at the sight of space before them.

"Well...that's interesting." He muttered, before taking a deep breath. "Okay, well, best get dressed. Can't go walking around in a hospital gown now can I?" He asked, and Joey took a breath.

"Is that really important? Right now?" She asked and he blinked at her.

"Well of course, no one is going to take me seriously while I'm walking around in a gown now will they?" With that he turned and went to go get his things, Joey waited a moment before following, causing Blaze to hesitate gazing at her curiously. Joey's gaze drifted out the window, she took a deep breath.

"Why do I feel like this is going to just keep getting weirder?" Then, before Blaze, or she could answer her question she turned and followed after the Doctor. Blaze scampered after her quietly.

**~A~**

Joey leaned against the wall waiting and watching the Jones woman along with her friend as they gazed out the window. Where Earth was in view. Blaze was scratching the side of his head and muttering softly in the background. Oddly enough it was becoming a rather familiar sound to her.

The Doctor was behind the curtain getting changed into his clothes while they waited for him.

"It's real. It's really real. Hold on." Jones exclaimed before reaching out to open the window. But her friend reached out and grabbed her wrist stopping her.

"Don't! We'll lose all the air." She told her, clearly frightened, but Jones looked at the window before back at the other girl.

"But they're not exactly air tight. If the air was going to get sucked out it would have happened straight away, but it didn't. So how come?" She asked, and as she did the Doctor pulled aside the curtain dramatically.

"Very good point. Brilliant, in fact. What was your name?" He asked, and Jones gazed at him a moment before answering.

"Martha."

"And it was Jones, wasn't it? Well then, Martha Jones, the question is, how are we still breathing?" He came over to them and Joey followed, Blaze hung back a bit watching them.

"We can't be." The other woman whimpered.

"But we are, so clearly you are wrong." Joey added, speaking for the first time. The Doctor nodded in agreement.

"Exactly, so don't waste our time." He told her a tad bit cruelly and Blaze came over looking like he wanted to say something but then crumbled a bit on himself and never uttered a word.

"Martha, what have we got? Is there a balcony on this floor, or a veranda, or..." he trailed and Martha nodded.

"By the patients' lounge, yeah." She told him, and he raised an eyebrow.

"Fancy going out?"

"We could very well die." Joey added gazing at the both of them, they looked at her, and Martha couldn't help but smile.

"We might not though." she said looking between them. The Doctor grinned at her.

"Good. Come on. Not her, she'd hold us up." he said pointing at the other woman. The three of them headed off to the lounge. Blaze hesitated looking at the woman.

He took a deep breath and went over to her. He offered a small smile to the frightened girl. He paused before gently taking her hands, she looked up at him confused.

"It's going to be alright. We'll get back to earth, just take deep breaths and think about better things. I promise you will make it out of this." She stared back at him wide eyed, and he smiled softly to her. She nodded after a moment.

"O...okay, thank you..." she stammered.

"Okay, now, what is your name?" He asked softly, and she took a breath calming down.

"Swales...that's what people call me at least." She replied softly, and he nodded.

"Okay, then you can call me Red, if we are going by last names then. Now, Swales, I'm going to return to my friends, how about you see if you can help the patients here. I'm sure they can use your abilities."

She nodded and offered a bit of a smile sniffing, "okay, let me know if you need any help."

"I will, thank you." He smiled and let go of her hands and she smiled at him again before heading over to some of the patients. Blaze took a breath and looked around, his eyes glowing softly. The sight before him became x-ray, he looked up and found the double-heartbeats of his companions. Along with their forgien DNA, because of their opposing genetic makeup, they were highlighted in an almost comedic alien green color, glowing in his sights. He nodded and started heading up the stairs to the next floor, only to briefly catch sight of yet another green glow coming from a few floors below him. He paused mid-step gazing down through the stairs. It was blurry, and hard to make out, being so far down. His brow furrowed and his red eyes glowed a bit more, the image of the glowing green figure magnified as he zoomed in.

"Red...I thought our friends were the only alien ones here?" he asked confused, perhaps Red was malfunctioning? This was an ability he had not used in years…

At that thought he felt a sharp pain in his heart, he gasped and a hand flew to it. Wincing he rubbed it deeply, "sorry..." he trailed softly and took a breath. He watched as the figure moved only to be joined by two larger green figures. His brow furrowed deeply. Was it a malfunction?

He couldn't be certain, though he didn't really have much faith in his-

The first glowing figure disappeared and reformed into a human DNA signature. He froze gazing down at the sight. The two larger ones were there. But...the first one…

He took a deep breath and scratched the side of his head fevertively, before shaking it and pulling out of the function.

He knew it was a malfunction.

It didn't take too much longer for him to reach the balcony where the others were. Joey was the only one who noticed his presence and her brow furrowed but he just offered a small smile.

"Extraterrestrial. It's got to be. I don't know, a few years ago that would have sounded mad, but these days? That spaceship flying into Big Ben, Christmas, those Cybermen things. I had a cousin. Adeola. She worked at Canary Wharf. She never came home." Said Martha, Blaze came a bit closer, joining the Doctor's other side and gazing down at the landscape of the moon below them. He glanced at him, registering his presence but didn't say anything.

The Doctor turned back to Martha, "I'm sorry." He told her softly, she took a breath and gazed out at the space surrounding them.

"Yeah."

"We were there." The Doctor added, turning his gaze to the space surrounding them, "Night and I, in the battle." Martha glanced at him, and then glanced at his two companions, unsure of which one he was referring to.

"So...who might your friends here be?" She asked, Joey looked over at that.

"You can call me Nightshade." She told her, leaning onto the railing and turning back to gaze at the space around them.

"What, like the poison?" Martha asked her brow furrowing, Joey turned to look at her, with a completely straight face.

"Yes." The two women stared at each other a moment, Blaze leaned forward to be able to be viewed better.

"I'm Blaze." he offered a small smile as she turned away from Joey to face him. "It's nice to meet you."

She nodded and offered a bit of a smile in return. "Nice to meet you too." The woman took a breath and nodded to all three of them seriously, "I promise you, Mister Smith, Blaze," she nodded to the young boy, and glanced at Joey, albeit more hesitantly. "Nightshade, we will find a way out. If we can travel to the moon, then we can travel back. There's got to be a way." She nodded to them, doing her best to imbue them with confidence. But the Doctor shook his head, turning to look at her once more.

"It's not Smith. That's not my real name." He told her, and Martha blinked looking at him in surprise.

"Who are you then?"

"I'm the Doctor." he answered, and she nodded in response.

"Me too, if I can pass my exams. What is it then, Doctor Smith?" But he only shook his head.

"Just the Doctor." He insisted, she looked deeply confused.

"What, people call you the Doctor?" She asked bemused, and Joey sighed resting her elbows on the railing.

"Yes. He just wants to be called the Doctor." She muttered gazing at the little dots that grew closer to them suspiciously.

"One time I met a bunny, he said he wanted to be named the Terminator." Blaze spoke up, attracting all their attention, "he also shaved down his buck teeth into points and ate mice." Then he paused with a frown, "now that I think about it he was probably under control of Cliff. His eyes were a really unnatural green." He turned to look at them, "Cliff liked to take over little rodents, generally innocent animals. One time he took over a fawn." He offered a small smile, "she was sweet, but she kept headbutting my leg. For such a small deer, she sure was strong, I had a bruise the size of a melon for two months."

The three of them stared at him in a mixture of confusion and interest. There was a moment of silence as they gazed at him, but he turned and looked at the space around them once more.

"Well, I'm not calling you Doctor, As far as I'm concerned, you've got to earn that title." Martha was the first to break the silence, turning to the Doctor and getting back on topic. The Doctor turned and smiled at her.

"Well, I'd better make a start, then. Let's have a look. There must be some sort of..." he trailed off, and threw out something, it bounced off an invisible wall, and fell to the ground below them. All watch with interest.

"So it must be a forcefield then." Joey muttered, and the Doctor nodded, Martha's brow hoever furrowed.

"But if that's like a bubble sealing us in, that means this is the only air we've got. What happens when it runs out?" She asked, turning to look at them.

"How many people in this hospital?" The Doctor asked, looking at her gravely.

"One thousand three hundred fifty six." Blaze responded automatically, they glanced at him and the Doctor took a deep breath.

"One thousand people. Suffocating."

Martha shook her head looking disturbed, "why would anyone do that?" She asked and the Doctor gazed out before them.

"Head's up! Ask them yourself." He called and their attention was drawn to the sight before them.

Three massive column-like spaceships passed over the hospital, and then landed nearby on the ground. Only moments after they landed, out came lines of marching aliens stomping out of them.

"Aliens. That's aliens. Real, proper aliens." Martha breathed as they watched, her eyes wide. The Doctor however looked grim.

"Judoon."

**A/N: I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter! I will keep trying to do my best to post regularly. **

**If there are any questions you have please feel free to ask in the reviews! I'll do my best to answer them in author notes. **

**Thank you to everyone who reviews and follows this story, you are greatly appreciated. **

**Stay safe!**

**-Earthian**


	11. Smith and Jones: Flowers, and Dowers

**A/N: I sorta have a double apology, this one is shorter then my usual set goal and this episode will turn out to be a three part one. Sorry about the excessive delay. I will try to get the next chapter out fairly soon. But I'm also working on my other fanfiction, Undying Death, it's a Captain America/Avengers Fanfiction, it's a revision of one of my old ones, so if you're interested, check it out! If you're super interested, drop a follow. **

**Reviews are always welcome, and I am very grateful to all of you. :)**

The room was dark. Only dimly lit by a soft blue glow that lit up a bit of the figure that laid on their side curled up and muttering softly, the blue glow reflected off the chains that bound him.

Outside of the room stood two figures before a window, the darkness that surrounded them was customary to what they were used to. The only light source being that of the blue glow that lit the room that the young man was bound in. The figures were shrouded in shadows but looked in on the man through a one way mirror.

"He has started muttering again." A soft, singsong voice filled the air, light as a butterfly's wings, like a soft chiming bell.

"What is it about this time?" Inquired a slightly deeper voice, but only a fraction so.

"A flower, he keeps muttering about a flower." Chimed the softer voice, a hum from the deeper one was the only response that was given.

Inside the room, the mutterings grew in a more rhythmic pattern, a singsong in a voice higher then one would expect from him.

"My flower...my flower...time to refund your dower...my flower...my flower...can you endure the oncoming shower..."

That verse was sung in a loop, filtered through a heavy gaelic accent. The man's eyes fixated on the ground before him as he hummed softly, his eyes completely out of focus.

"My flower...my flower...time to refund your dower...my flower...my flower...can you endure the oncoming shower..."

**~A~**

Joey couldn't help the shiver that raced down her spine, which was very odd to her, sure the sight of the armored aliens was intimidating.

But to shiver? That seemed like quite the dramatic reaction.

She shook her head and turned back to the matter at hand.

The Doctor and Martha had already moved to head back into the building and she quickly caught up with them. She didn't notice Blaze's curious gaze on her.

Once inside the hospital, they stood above the reception area where the Judoon flooded inside. Joey came over to the railing and gazed down at those below. The masked aliens begin to pull out a circular device and scanned the faces of the people below them. Calling out human, and marking their wrists.

The humans were obviously greatly disturbed and some even tried to resist, but to no avail. In the end the Judoon won, and scanned everyone in the reception area.

"That's great, on the moon with aliens that scan your face." Joey grumbled with a breath.

"Oh, look down there, you've got a little shop, I like a little shop." The Doctor spoke up, a tad too cherry given their circumstances.

"Never mind that. What are Judoon?" Martha seemed to agree as she turned to look at the man who clearly had the answers.

"They're like police. Well, police for hire. They're more like interplanetary thugs." He responded and Joey's grip tightened on the railing that they stood before.

Ugh, she hated cops.

"And they brought us to the moon?" Martha asked incredulously.

"Neutral territory. According to galactic law, they've got no jurisdiction over the Earth, and they isolated it. That rain, lightning? That was them, using an H2O scoop." He explained gazing down at the thugs and humans below them.

"Oh yeah, ya know." Joey trailed leaning more so on the railing, "as ya do." Her voice dripped with sarcasm and Blaze glanced at her briefly before turning to look below them.

"What are you on about, galactic law? Where'd you get that from? If they're police, are we under arrest? Are we trespassing on the moon or something?" Martha asked, gaining all their attention. Joey gazed at her from leaning on her arms on the railing.

"Well, at least you're clever." She muttered and turned back to the sight before them.

"No, but yeah, I like that. Very clever, good thinking. But no, I wish it were that simple. They're making a catalogue. That means they're after something non human, which is very bad news for Night and I." Joey sighed deeply at that. Right, she wasn't human.

Sometimes it was hard to remember.

She rubbed the spot where her second heart was supposedly located.

"Wait...they are scanning for non-humans?" Blaze asked, speaking up for the first time. The Doctor nodded glancing at him, and Blaze shifted wringing the railing in his hands.

Hands that almost seemed to be smoking.

"...I saw...three non-humans." He breathed and looked up at them. Now he had their attention. "Excluding you both of course...but...I don't know...if it was a malfunction with Red-" he was cut off with a wince and took a deep breath, ignoring their slightly concerned and curious gazes. "I...I can't be sure...but it was a small one...and two large ones."

"How did you know they were alien?" Joey couldn't help but ask, squinting slightly at him.

"Red...he lets me see things other people can't see." He took a breath and looked back at the Judoon, without the function completely activated, he could only see the humans and the Judoon lit vaguely in a soft glow, the humans had a red look to it, the Judoon, like Nightshade and the Doctor were softly glowing a green color.

He couldn't help but smile softly at the memory of _why_ it was lit in those colors. But the smile soon faded, as the memory was turned sorrowful by the ones that followed. He took a breath and forced himself to look away.

"Wait what? What is he talking about?" Martha looked at them confused, but the Doctor looked at her, a slight knowing and amused look on his face. "Oh, you're kidding me. Don't be ridiculous. Stop looking at me like that." She ordered not liking the clues that were snapping into place.

The Doctor pulled back from the railing and smirked, amused by something that she still denied.

"Come on then." He walked away, the other's following.

**~A~**

Joey stood leaning against the doorway watching the hallway, they were in a small enclosed space, and she prefered to have one foot out of the room. It felt less enclosed then.

A glance back at the group told her what she already knew, the Doctor was scanning the computer with that infernal device. Blaze stood leaning against the wall gazing at nothing, his arms crossed, but more so in a hugging himself fashion rather than a moody one. His hands were hidden in his sweater sleeves, he, and his eyes glowed a faint and soft red, that she could only vaguely see if she _really_ paid attention.

"They've reached the third floor. What's that thing?" Martha asked, breaking the silence. Joey turned to look at her.

"Sonic screwdriver." He responded without looking away from the computer screen. He pulled it back and gazed at it quietly looking over the results.

"Well, if you're not going to answer me properly." Martha grumbled sassily, and Joey couldn't help but smirk slightly.

"No, he's being for real." She said and Martha looked at her, "sadly." She added, earning a look from the Doctor, but Joey just smirks at him.

"What else have you got?" Martha asked, turning back to the Doctor, she raised an eyebrow, "a laser spanner?"

"I did, but it was stolen by Emily Pankhurst, cheeky woman." He then turned back to the computer. "Oh, this computer! The Judoon must have locked it down. Judoon platoon upon the moon. Because I was just travelling past. I swear, I was just wandering. I wasn't looking for trouble, honestly, I wasn't, Blaze, Night and I were out for tea, but I noticed these plasma coils around the hospital, and that lightning, that's a plasma coil. Been building up for two days now, so I checked in. I thought something was going on inside. It turns out the plasma coils were the Judoon up above." He explained quickly, as he usually did, but Martha seemed to keep up.

"But what are they looking for?" She asked.

"Something that appears to be human, but really isn't." Joey explained with a breath, and Martha looked at her and then back at the Doctor.

"Like you two apparently."

"Like us, but not." The Doctor amended.

"Haven't they got a photo?" She asked a very logical question.

"...what if it changes its appearance..." Blaze trailed, speaking up for the first time. "Or...it's DNA..."

But the last part was muttered as he got a far away look in his eye. It was muttered so quietly they couldn't hear it.

"Whatever it is, can't you just leave the Judoon to find it?" Martha asked, turning back to the Doctor.

But the time lord shook his head. "If they declare the hospital guilty of harbouring a fugitive, they'll sentence it to execution." At that Martha's eyes widened.

"All of us?" She breathed looking frightened.

"Oh yes. If I can find this thing first. Oh! You see, they're thick! Judoon are thick! They are completely thick! They wiped the records. Oh, that's clever." He shook his head gazing at the computer, Joey peered over his shoulder, all records and history of the hospital had been wiped. She shifted her jaw.

"What are we looking for?" Martha asked, also gazing at the screen.

"I don't know. Say, any patient admitted in the past week with unusual symptoms. Maybe there's a back-up." He muttered, and Martha nodded with a breath.

"Just keep working. I'll go ask Mister Stoker. He might know." She offered, the Doctor turned to look at her, he nodded but then turned to Blaze.

"Have Blaze go with you. It's better not to be alone." He ordered and Blaze nodded stepping out of the room as Martha did.

Joey watched them go as she leaned out the room before taking a breath and coming back in, the Doctor was rapidly typing into the computer. She came over and partially sat on the desk, her wings spreading apart a bit to give her the ability to do so.

"So this kind of thing is normal for you then." It wasn't a question.

He barely looked up before turning back to the screen, "yeah, I don't always look for it, but it seems to always find me."

She gazed at him quietly after his response, she didn't say anything for a long while, "what happened to me earlier?" She wasn't going to let it go, she _knew_ he knew what it was, and she knew it was important. "I've never felt like that before."

His hands froze over the keys for a moment as he gazed at the screen, but she could tell he wasn't actually looking at it anymore.

"Doctor." She prompted.

"I told you...that you were married. On Gallifrey...our people, once wed, have a very strong connection with each other. The...benefits are many, but the consequences are just as much. I don't...know why you haven't been affected so intensely yet. But..." he took a breath and looked up at her with serious eyes. She tensed a bit at the look in them. "It will come Night, it will...and it can very well kill you."

Her grip on the edge of the table tightened, and she grit her teeth, ignoring the soreness that spiked through her mouth. "I'm really hard to kill." It was a growl, no way would she let some stupid connection to a deadman bring her down. She had survived for far too long.

"I know, I can tell." He took a deep breath turning back to the computer, "but even the strongest have been brought to death's door by this. It's a miracle you aren't dead yet."

"Do you think he may have survived?" That was spoken in a softer tone, and she couldn't really explain why that was.

"No." The firmness in his voice, and a pained look that flashed through his eyes was indication enough that he knew this for a fact, "I saw him die...I waited for regeneration...it didn't happen. He's dead." he took a deep breath and began to type again. "We are the last."

**~A~**

"...are you alright?" The question broke the silence that had fallen over the two of them. It was so startling that Blaze jumped slightly and looked at her wide eyed, she pulled her heads up in surrender. "Sorry...it's just...you look a little ill." Her eyes searched his face and he instinctively looked away to avoid that. His eyes fell onto the ground and he let out a breath.

"I'm not sick. Red won't let me get sick." It was whispered, but she heard it due to their close proximity as they went down the hallway.

"Who...might Red be?" she asked carefully, slowly trying to piece together what kind of illness he may have.

"Red lives in my head." He let out a breath, "he's really bossy, but he helps me do a bunch of helpful things."

"And...what are those things?" Her voice was soft and gentle, but she felt her caution start to instinctively rise.

"...I know what you are thinking." He murmured his eyes growing glazed over. She shook her head, eyes widening slightly.

"No, no, I'm not-"

"I'm not going to hurt you." He sounded tired, and clutched the hems of his sleeves, hands trembling only slightly. "I'm not that kind of crazy."

"That's...thats not what I meant." She defended quietly, gazing at him, he glanced at her, not buying it. "I just...you look...really sad."

He paused gazing at her, "...I am." And that was all he would give on the matter, and she sensed that.

Luckily the silence didn't last much longer as they got to Stroker's office. Martha took a breath and crept over to the door, she opened it and leaned inside as Blaze waited, glancing about the hall, only to stiffen and look over to the office his eyes glowing.

"Mister-"

But she was cut off, Blaze grabbed her arm and hauled her back, the door swung open still and they were witness to a pair of shoes belonging to a man sticking out of the desk, two men...very tall with helmets upon their heads. Martha's eyes widened and she covered her mouth with her hands. Blaze looked grim but unflinching, even when a elderly lady stood up with a bloodied straw sticking out of her mouth. Her eyes lit with rage, and Blaze gripped Martha's elbow, reached out, slammed the door and bolted, hauling her after him, they could faintly hear the woman call an order behind them, but it was hard to distinguish.

It didn't take them long to get back to the Doctor and Joey; they were standing outside the computer room now. Martha was panting, Blaze however was breathing normally.

"I've restored the back-up." the Doctor announced proudly, but Martha went up to him taking hard breaths.

"We found her." she announced.

"You did what?" He looked confused, but Blaze tensed and just before the bang of the office door collapsing was heard, he had already ushered them into a run.

They head down the stairs, excluding Blaze who stopped holding Martha.

"Wait!" He called just as the Judoon met up with Joey and the Doctor, the two time-lords took off to another floor and Blaze quickly followed.

Behind them pursued the men clad in black.

**~A~**

They all rush into a side room, and the Doctor turns around and locks the door with his sonic. He then leads them behind a radiation screen.

"When I say now, press the button." He ordered, and Martha looked up at him.

"But I don't know which one!" She cried, but he took a breath.

"Then find out!" Then he left the screen and went over to the x-ray machine. Martha grabbed an instruction manual and began to flip through it. Blaze watched her a second as Joey gazed over the panel board trying to figure it out. Blaze glanced over the board, eyes glowing.

The door was being banged on by the leather clad men, and finally gets it off its hinges and on the ground, he stepped inside and the Doctor pointed the machine at it.

"Now!" Just as he did Blaze's hand slammed down on the correct button before either girl could react.

The leather clad man got blasted with radiation, and Martha quickly turned the machine off.

The three of them filed into the room with the Doctor.

"What did you do?" Martha was the first to speak, her eyes on the fallen thug.

"Increased the radiation by five thousand per cent. Killed him dead." The Doctor explained, but her brow furrowed deeply.

"But isn't that going to kill you?" She asked confused, but as the Doctor opened his mouth, Blaze shook his head.

"No. It's harmless to him." The Doctor blinked at him before turning back to Martha as Joey crouched, examining the fallen leather clad man.

"Yeah, it's only roentgen radiation. We used to play with roentgen bricks in the nursery. It's safe for you to come out. I've absorbed it all. All I need to do is expel it. If I concentrate I can shake the radiation out of my body and into one spot. It's in my left shoe. Here we go, here we go." He lifted up his foot and begin to shake it, Blaze tilted his head, Martha watched bemused, and Joey didn't look up at all. "Easy does it. Out, out, out, out, out. Out, out. Ah, ah, ah, ah! It is, it is, it is, it is, it is hot. Hold on." He shook out his leg, and then hissed, quickly removing his converse and tossing it into the bin. He looked up with a breath, "done."

Martha looked very amused, "you're completely mad." She announced with a unbelieving breath.

"You're right. I look daft with one shoe." And with that, he tossed the other one. Leaving him only in his socks. "Barefoot on the moon." He grinned at them and shifted his feet about.

Martha took a breath and looked down at the fallen man before them. "So what is that thing? And where's it from, the planet Zovirax?" She asked with an eyebrow raise.

"It's...a slab." Joey muttered before the Doctor could speak. "They are slave drones." She pulled out a dagger and outright stabbed it in the chest before removing the knife, not seeing Martha's eyes widen. She examined the dagger and sniffed it. "Completely leather." She got to her feet with a breath and Martha nodded, watching the girl put away her blade.

"But it was that woman, Miss Finnegan. It was working for her, just like a servant." Martha mused looking down at the slab. Joey's eyes were on it as well, but Blaze's attention turned to the Doctor as the timelord turned to the x-ray machine.

The Doctor slowly pulled out his charred and fried sonic screwdriver, he held it in both hands looking rather distraught at it's destruction.

"My sonic screwdriver..." he muttered looking forlorn.

"She was one of my patients, but-" Martha continued trying to stay on topic, but the Doctor cut her off.

"Oh, no. My sonic screwdriver." He trailed and Blaze awkwardly raised a hand to pat him on the back but hesitated and shook his head quietly letting his hand fall.

"She had a straw like some kind of vampire." Martha continued her eyes flickering to the Doctor finally, Joey soon was doing the same.

"I loved my sonic screwdriver..." he held it in both of his hands like it was a precious item.

"Doctor?" Martha prodded trying to pull him back to the situation at hand.

He looked up at her, the sudden mood shift was a bit jarring for those watching, "sorry." He tossed his screwdriver in the bin Blaze looked over quietly at it. "You called me Doctor." The time-lord said with a grin, but Martha didn't look like she was wanting to play the 'oh I finally accepted you as a Doctor' game, as she took a breath and sent him a pointed look.

"Anyway? Miss Finnegan is the alien. She was drinking Mister Stoker's blood." She informed him, and watched him to make sure he wasn't going to get distracted again.

"She could be a shifter..." Joey trailed her eyes flickering down to the body before them, "could be a DNA changer. That would be a good way to hide if they are scanning for alien species."

"Right! She wasn't drinking the blood, she was assimilating it." The Doctor concluded with a nod. "And if she can assimilate Mister Stoker's blood, mimic the biology, she'll register as human. We've got to find her and show the Judoon. Come on!" He called and raced from the room, the others followed, Joey with a breath.

Blaze however hesitated and pulled the sonic from the bin and put it in his pocket before racing after them.

**~A~**

Joey couldn't help but fidget uncomfortably as her wings tried to position themselves so they were still pressed up against her, avoiding Martha, and avoiding being uncomfortably pressed against the ground.

They did not bend like a knee or an elbow toward the bottom and it was, as predicted, uncomfortable.

Blaze, quite annoyingly, sat still and silent, like it took no effort for him to be crouched down, his legs didn't shake, he didn't tremor at the awkward strain of his leg muscles. No. He sat like a statue, a statue that Joey was tempted to crack.

Even the Doctor and Martha seemed to be struggling a bit in their crouched positions.

Joey's eyes flickered over to the one they were hiding from, the second slab. Blaze had used his alien-whatever-vision and spotted him down the hall, enabling them to hide from the alien before they were seen.

Why Joey couldn't just kill the stupid leather beast, she would never understand.

They were hidden behind a water dispenser, but if it wasn't for her perception filter, Joey was sure she would've been spotted.

"That's the thing about Slabs. They always travel in pairs." The Doctor explained as they watched the slab walk down their corridor.

"What about you guys?" Martha asked, looking between the three of them. "You partners?"

"You could say that." Joey let out a breath and glanced at the Doctor, "you can very _loosely _say that." She added pointedly.

"Oh I'd like to think we are partners." He countered with a shrug, "we're traveling together after all."

"Fine, we're partners. Blaze is the stray we picked up. Happy?" Joey countered with a breath.

"Can I be a stray puppy?" Blaze's soft voice pulled their attention to him. He blinked, and a bit of suspicious smoke rose above his head as his cheeks colored a bit red.

"Anyways. Bit odd of a time to ask huh? Humans. We're stuck on the moon running out of air with Judoon and a bloodsucking criminal, you're asking personal questions?" He shook his head at Martha and got up looking around for the slab, Joey gratefully got up when he gave the signal.

" I like that. Humans. I'm still not convinced you're an alien." Martha muttered before looking between the Doctor and Joey.

Only for them all to turn a corner and walk right into the Judoon. They lifted the circular scanner and ran it over the Doctor's face as they all froze wide eyed.

Joey was the first to unfreeze and she reached for her gun, but out of the blue Blaze's hand grabbed her wrist, she tensed and was about to swear him off but he wasn't even looking at her. For some reason that made her hesitate.

"Non-human." The Judoon said loudly and Martha's eyes widened.

"Oh my God, you really are." She breathed, and the Doctor reached back and grabbed Martha's hand.

"And again." He said before bolting down the hallway, Joey and Blaze follow, the Judoon shoot, and Joey knocked over a cabinet with her wing hindering the Judoon's pursuit.

They take off up the stairs, the Doctor with his longer legs taking two at a time and Martha doing her best to keep up.

**A/N: So, bit different beginning then usual, have any questions? Feel free to ask! **

**Also thank you! I love that you had a thought about it! I am half tempted to not say anything about Blaze, but I decided to, Blaze is not a time-lord or half time-lord, but he has a very intense background behind him. I love your thought though! I did debate on what to make him, but I think what I have for him fits. Anyways, thank you so much for reviewing! I love seeing your reviews and it makes me smile every time! Reviews are always encouraging to keep going and I am so grateful that you want to share what you think with me! Thank you so much! **

**I love to hear any of your thoughts on the characters, or what you guys think of them, so if you have opinions about something please let me know. **

**Stay safe everyone! **

**-Earthian**


	12. Smith and Jones: The Plasmavore

**A/N: Hello everyone! Sorry about the later update, had a bit of trouble figuring out how to end this chapter, but I think I finally got it! Anyways, I hope you guys like the chapter!**

**DECLAIMER: I do not own Doctor who, or any of the properties associated with it. That belongs to BBC **

**I do however own Nightshade and Blaze and all stories from them. **

His breath came out as faint rasps. Though he wasn't sure if it was because of the tight bindings that bound his arms to his sides and compressed his chest tightly, or if it was the dryness of his throat. But it came out in scratchy rasps.

He could see...he could see, he could see inside her head, inside her mind, the chaos and emotions that swirled within, he wanted to reach out, but his hands were bound to his sides. No...not his flower, how do they not know? How can they not see!?

Swearing under his breath he looked around with wide bloodshot eyes. His waist hurt, but that was fine. It always hurt...it never stopped hurting. Nothing ever stopped hurting. He felt like his insides were always going through a blender...faster...faster...sharper...sharper….he coughed suddenly his body jerking forward, pulling on the chains that bound him to the wall.

They only made him mad, angry...angry…she was always angry, angry flower, thorny rose, poison laced in her sap, a grin spread over his face as he giggled eyes wide.

He knew they were just outside, watching, singing, singing their soft tunes, the soft...eerie tunes. He learned their language well. It was easy, songs...he was always apt at singing.

She loved his singing.

Before he knew what happened, he was down on his side giggling, the reflection of the blue glow shining in his eyes. The blue glow, it was nice, it numbed the churning of pain away. He tried to shuffle toward it, like a worm trying to move his entire body to move. He did make some progress, only for the chains to clink behind him and him to be halted. His brow furrowed, as if confused as to why he was being stopped. He made a frustrated sound and tried again, but to no avail.

Again, and again, and again he tried, but nothing, it didn't change.

But that's not fair! He wanted the blue light! He wanted to get to it! It felt nice! It made the pain go easier! He tugged harder on the chains and let out another frustrated sound as he grit his teeth.

He began to thrash in the restraints fighting them viciously and doing his best to escape, why did they leave the light here!? Why wouldn't they let him reach peace!? Hadn't they done enough!?

That's when he froze, his eyes widening, he took a slow raspy breath, what...have they done?

Did he know? He couldn't remember...he didn't...recall...he remembered pain...he remembered his flower...his pretty...pretty flower.

He just wanted to hold his flower…

**~A~**

Joey let out a cry holding her head and her foot slipped, her arms windmilled and her wings shot out. Blaze looked back and his eyes widened, he reached out and grabbed her arm, his other hand hanging onto the railing.

That happened within a few seconds. The Doctor whipped around brows furrowed.

"Night?" He asked as Blaze straightened her up.

"I...I'm fine...it's just...my head..." she groaned and held her head in both hands. Martha started down the stairs to check on her but the sound of the Judoon stomping headed their way. The Doctor grabbed Martha's hand.

"We have to keep moving." He told her, and she looked at him and then back at Joey but Blaze was already helping her up the stairs. Hands on her shoulders as she stumbled almost tripping and falling a few times if it wasn't for him. Martha took a breath and nodded before following up after him.

**~A~**

As they arrived on the floor above, they ran right through a hallway where people were starting to slump to the ground looking light headed and dizzy.

Blaze seemed to be affected the most out of the four of them, he was breathing quite a bit harder than the rest of them.

"They've done this floor. Come on. The Judoon are logical and just a little bit thick. They won't go back to check a floor they've checked already. If we're lucky." The Doctor explained as they slowed down to a walk. They stopped by the Swales woman who was giving oxygen from a tank to one of the patients. Martha went over to her comrade and crouched down next to her as the others looked around uneasily.

"How much oxygen is there?" Martha asked softly and Swales shook her head.

"Not enough for all these people. We're going to run out." She told her gravely, and Martha nodded before standing up with a breath. The Doctor turned to them all.

"How are you feeling? Everyone alright?" He asked looking them all over and taking note of Blaze's condition.

"I'm running on adrenaline." Martha informed them with a breath, the Doctor grinned at her.

"Welcome to my world."

"Just...a little light headed...Red likes to have lots of oxygen..." Blaze murmured, now leaning more on Joey than she was on him now. She took note of this vaguely through the pulsing pain in her head.

"Okay, keep your breaths steady alright?" Martha told him, and he nodded steadying his pants.

"Night?" the Doctor asked, looking at her, but she was staring at the ground, her vision swimming before her. Nausea was starting to hit her in waves, and she wasn't sure if it was because of the headache or the lack of food in her system. "Night." The Doctor pressed his brow furrowed.

"What?" She looked up, jerking her head up too fast and hissing while holding the front of it.

"Did you hit your head?" Martha asked her brows furrowing as well. Blaze however was looking over her silently, his eyes glowing.

"No, it's not a physical problem." He muttered his own brows furrowing deeply.

"What? What does that mean?" Martha looked confused, "does it have something to do with her...being...ya know, alien?"

"...yes." The young man confirmed gazing at the time-lady. The Doctor looked around uneasily before coming over to her and gazing down at her. She looked up confused, he lifted his hands and she tensed backing up instinctively, brown eyes dancing with distrust.

"Hey, easy, I just need to see something. I'm just going to touch your head okay?" His voice was soft and disarming, she looked up at him a moment before taking a breath and giving only a slight nod in response. He took a breath and lightly placed both his index and middle fingers on each hand onto her temples, she tensed under the touch and looked up at him uneasily. He closed his eyes and furrowed his brow.

"Doctor...we gotta keep going." Martha spoke up watching their interaction briefly as she looked at all the fallen people.

But Blaze just watched quietly whilst also keeping an eye out for the Judoon or that slab.

It took only a few moments before the Doctor pulled away sharply like he had been burned, he looked down at her wide eyed and taking hard breaths, she looked up at him confused and more than a little miffed at his reaction.

He looked _horrified, _was her head really _that_ messed up?

"Doctor!" Martha called understanding the situation but also knowing the urgency of the moment they were in.

"B...but…" he stammered looking lost for words, for probably only the second time she had known from him.

"What?" She demanded sharply.

"Guys can we do this later?" Martha pressed coming over to them. The Doctor nodded with a hard breath.

"Right, yes, let's take care of this first." He took yet another breath, glanced at Joey once more as she gazed narrowed eyes at him.

"Yeah, and what about the Judoon? Won't they run out of air too?" Martha relaxed now that they were back to the situation at hand.

"Nah, great big lung reserves. It won't slow them down. Where's Mister Stoker's office?" The Doctor asked, turning and looking around.

"It's this way." Martha pointed before leading them toward the office.

Joey started after them with an irritated breath, but Blaze stepped before her. Her eyes narrowed and she was about ready to swear him off but he just gazed quietly at her.

"What?" She asked defensively, he however went to her side and offered an arm, she stiffened and looked at him incredulously. "What the #$$ are you doing?" She demanded.

"You haven't eaten in awhile. Plus pain signals are radiating from your head still. With your wings, falling in close quarters can be bad for you. You could break something." His voice was soft, disarming, it brought on a feeling she didn't know or understand.

She didn't like things she didn't understand.

Joey took a step away, eyes narrowed, "I'm fine." And despite her wobbly legs and throbbing head, and the vaguely dizzy feeling, she kept on following after the Doctor and Martha.

Blaze gazed after her with a soft breath, "yeah, you always have been." he shook his head at a memory before following after her, trying to be watchful of her, but not letting her notice.

**~A~**

They stepped into the room and Martha looked around brow furrowed, "she's gone." She turned to face them, "she was here." She told them determinedly.

"She was, I saw her too." Blaze affirmed, backing her up.

They enter further and stop dead at the sight of a completely white man. There was no color left in his skin and Joey couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.

"Drained him dry. Every last drop. I was right. She's a plasmavore." The Doctor said with a slight nod, but it caused Joey to look at him a slight frown, sure she didn't have the exact term. But he wasn't the _only_ one who had that line of thought.

"What's she doing on Earth?" Martha asked, looking up from where she was crouched by the body.

"Hiding. On the run. Like Ronald Biggs in Rio de Janeiro. What's she doing now? She's still not safe. The Judoon could execute us all. Come on." He beckoned going to the door. Martha got up before looking down at the body and crouching before it.

"Wait a minute." She called before slowly closing his eyes. She got up and followed them out, Blaze hesitated a moment gazing at the man with a somber expression before following after them.

**~A~**

"Think, think, think. If I was a plasmavore surrounded by police, what would I do?" The Doctor asked, mostly talking to himself but turning to look at them all the same, at least until his eyes flickered over their shoulders. "Ah. She's as clever as me. Almost." He added the last bit quickly, and Joey couldn't help but roll her eyes slightly.

But they all stiffened at the sound of a scream and a crash that echoed throughout the hallway.

They tensed even more at the sound of the Judoons approach, "Find the non-human. Execute." one of the rhino men called. The Doctor turned to Martha.

"Martha, stay here. I need time. You've got to hold them up." He told her, and she blinked at him.

"How do I do that?" She asked readying herself to confront and hold up the aliens.

"Just forgive me for this. It could save a thousand lives. It means nothing. Honestly, nothing." Then rather abruptly he kissed Martha, he took her face into his hands and kissed her deeply. Joey's eyes widened, and Blaze's soon followed. But then, he pulled away, after perhaps a little too long, and he took off running, grabbing Joey's hand along the way, she cried out a 'hey!' but stumbled on after him irritated.

Blaze however didn't follow. He watched them go before going over to the stunned Martha. She took a breath, eyes wide as she stared after the time lord.

"That was nothing?" she breathed amazed, and Blaze's eyes flickered over to her. Noting the heat gathered in her face and accelerated heartbeat. He took a deep breath.

This could be problematic.

The Doctor's heartbeats had remained the same.

**~A~**

Joey followed the Doctor as he stumbled inside the room where bright flashing lights came from. She peeked inside, and she could feel the hairs on her arms raise up, the hairs of her feathers lifting slightly as well due to the energy bouncing off the scanner. An older woman was in the control center, working on the device, likely to continue to strengthen it until it reached the point that she wanted.

Which of course was some evil goal.

Joey's eyes flickered over the woman, she didn't look to be much of a threat herself, with that weak frame and bones, she wasn't sure the woman could pose that much of a problem. But the slab man could, if only she knew where he was.

Her fingers danced over the handle of her gun and she shifted her jaw, ignoring the sting of pain that radiated from there with every beat of her heart...s….

#$# would she ever get used to saying that?

The Doctor stumbled into the room and had a look of panic painted over his face, he looked back at the door before turning to the lady in the box, who looked up and narrowed her eyes. "Have you seen them? There are these things. These great big space rhino things. I mean, rhinos from space. And we're on the moon! Great big space rhinos with guns on the moon. And I only came in for my bunions, look. I mean, all fixed now. Perfectly good treatment. The nurses were lovely. I said to my wife here, I said I'd recommend this place to anyone, but then we end up on the moon. And did I mention the rhinos?" At the mention of his wife, and the motion to her Joey's head snapped to him, and she could just barely control the glare that she felt itching to overtake her expression.

But her hands did curl into fists.

The #$$ she was even this _pacifist's_ pretend wife.

But a smirk spread over her face and she grabbed his shoulder, her grip tightening as her gauntlet clicked and hummed a bit, she could feel him wince slightly under her touch and felt a familiar sick sort of pleasure, she turned to the woman, who to be honest was still very jarring to see. Joey...couldn't honestly remember if she had ever actually seen another old person before she had come to this very bizzare reality. They just weren't at all common.

You were lucky if you survived past thirty.

"Well not just the bunions _dear_," at the word her grip tightened again, "after all you hit your head not too long ago." She turned to him and smirked, "don't you remember?" She turned and smiled innocently at the woman, "he just doesn't pay attention sometimes." She could almost feel his unspoken retorts, and his desperation for her to just go with him on this, and she decided it wasn't the time to let her snark take over.

Even if it sat anxiously on the tip of her tongue.

"Grab them." The woman ordered looking totally done with them. Joey tensed as the slab came out of a set of doors and over to them and she took a hard breath. Her eyes flickering all over and trying to find a weak point.

She felt the Doctor grab her hand just as it was gripping her gun, she cursed under her breath and stiffened up when the slab grabbed one of their arms each in a hand.

#$ .

She #%$%# hated this plan.

**~A~**

"Find the non-human. Execute." The Judoon ordered again, and Blaze gazed at them as they approached he and Martha, she stepped up and held up her hands.

"Now listen, I know who you're looking for. She's this woman. She calls herself Florence." She told him, in hopes that the thug would listen.

He did not.

Instead he raised the circular object and scanned her.

"Human." He stated before pausing and looking at the readings, "wait. Non-human traits suspected. Non-human element confirmed. Authorise full scan. What are you? What are you?" He demanded stepping closer, Blaze pulled Martha behind him, his eyes glowing softly as he couldn't help but wonder what a full scan meant.

"What do you mean full scan?" He asked carefully, and Martha couldn't help but look at him, her eyes slightly widened.

Normally Blaze was soft spoken, he didn't often make eye contact and fidgeted a lot, he showed all signs of an introvert with very low self-esteem.

But as he spoke now, his voice was firm, resoute, his brows furrowed over his eyes as he gazed dead straight at the judoon.

It was not at all what Martha expected from him, his hand was around her wrist, firm but not tight as he kept her behind him.

The judoon looked at him, eyes narrowing before raising the scanner and running it over him.

"Human." He stated easily, but then paused and looked over him, and the two humans could almost mistake his expression for confused caution. "You should be dead."

Blaze took a breath, and his expression was one of exhaustion, "you have no idea." Then he took another breath and set his shoulders, gazing at the judoon firmly. "Now. What is a full scan?" But the judoon gazed back at him evenly.

"Move."

"That's not something I'm going to do, and before you say I'm impeding justice think of it this way. I can take off running with her, you know we have been avoiding you for awhile now. You're smart enough to have figured that out, and yes, you can just wait it out for us all to die, but how do you know that the fugitive doesn't have an escape plan? Then you would be executing a bunch of humans for no reason. Tell me what the scan is and I won't run. But if you don't, I can bet on my life that you will never find your fugitive and they _will_ escape." His voice unwavered as he gazed over the rhino alien before him. Martha couldn't help but glance at him confused before turning to the judoon and watch tensely.

"Any accomplices of the fugitive will be executed." The judoon announced raising his gun and pointing it at Blaze's chest, the young man wasn't even fazed and gazed back at him evenly.

"You saw my levels, are you certain that something bad won't happen once I die? How do you know your men can escape in time? You all are making a lot of assumptions with very little to back it up. You don't even know for certain if the woman behind me is in any way related to the fugitive. For all you know there could be some half-alien running around the hospital as well. There is one simple way to resolve this. Just tell me what the full scan is."

There was tense silence for a few moments, Martha wasn't sure why this guy was making such a big deal out of a scan, it couldn't be bad. Could it? Why was he suddenly like this? All bold, firm and strangely calm and confident?

Just what kind of people were these three?

After a too tense, too long moment of silence, the judoon held up his scanner and typed a few things into it.

"A more intensive scan to make sure the body's DNA lines up with that of the human species." He informed him, and Blaze let out a breath. Alright, that was fine.

He'd seen...and been through more...intensive examinations before.

He wouldn't wish that upon his worst enemies.

"Alright." He turned and looked at Martha, his softly glowing eyes searching her face, "are you okay with that?"

She nodded, still a bit stunned, "y...yeah…" realizing how she sounded, she cleared her throat and nodded a bit firmer. "Yes. That's fine."

Blaze nodded and gave her wrist a gentle squeeze before letting her go and stepping out of the way.

The judoon approached Martha, but she couldn't remove her gaze from Blaze, they ran the scan on her but she didn't pay attention. Her eyes were on the young man, and she could almost see that whatever had come over him was disappearing.

Moments ago his shoulders had been raised and taunt, now they were slouched and loose, his head had been head high, now it hung a bit low. His eyes were down to his shoes when before they had been lifted and narrowed.

He looked small, and if she paid close attention, she could see him trembling.

Just...who was this guy?

Why was his hand so comfortingly warm?

And why did the judoon say he should be dead?

**~A~**

Joey really had to restrain herself from yanking out of the grip of the slab, she was dizzy and her head still pounded, the Doctor's other hand still held her wrist, restraining it from grabbing her gun. She wanted to elbow him in the gut, but she could barely think about breathing without her head throbbing painfully.

"Er, that, that big er machine thing. Is it supposed to be making that noise?" The Doctor asked, continuing his normal human persona, which really was just a lot more anxious version of his normal self.

"You wouldn't understand." The alien woman dismissed, and Joey rolled her eyes.

She highly doubted that.

And she didn't #$% care if she sounded vain.

"It's a overpowered magnet isn't it? A resonance image." Joey snapped irritably, her head was pounding and some bag of bones was insulting her intelligence.

"Right! Yeah, she's an awful smart cookie my wife here, cause it's like a ginormous sort of a magnet? We did magnetics GCSE. Well, I failed," he nodded to Joey, "she passed, but all the same. It's actually how we met you know."

Joey wasn't sure why he was putting so much emphasis on this story of theirs, but it was likely because he was trying to make them appear as human as possible. Her eyes fell on him and flickered over him. He wanted her to think he was human. But why?

Her eyes fell back onto the lady behind the booth, and they widened slightly.

Right, she drank blood to change her DNA, if she drank human, it would be human, but if she drank the Doctor's it would be alien.

Or...if she drank Joey's.

Her brow furrowed a bit and she paused thinking.

"The magnetic setting now increased to fifty thousand Tesla." The woman announced, and the Doctor's eyes widened.

"Ooo, that's a bit strong, isn't it?" He asked looking over the machine that pulsed with energy every few seconds.

"It'll send out a magnetic pulse that'll fry the brain stems of every living thing within two hundred and fifty thousand miles. Except for me, safe in this room." She explained and that caught Joey's attention, she raised an eyebrow.

"But er, hold on, hold on, I did geography GCSE. I passed that one. Doesn't that distance include the Earth?" The Doctor questioned, and Joey glanced at him. He was really playing it up wasn't he?

"Only the side facing the moon. The other half will survive. Call it my little gift." She said with a smile, and Joey rolled her eyes.

"Oh how generous of you." She grumbled, voice dripping with sarcasm.

"I'm sorry, you'll have to excuse me, I'm a little out of my depth. I've spent the past fifteen years working as a postman. Hence the bunions. Why would you do that?" The Doctor pressed, and Joey glanced at him, well. He got points for creativity.

"With everyone dead, the Judoon ships will be mine, to make my escape." She announced proudly, and Joey was half tempted just to shoot her here. The time lady pursed her lips thinking as her hand inched toward her dagger. She wasn't sure it would work. But she had a feeling the Doctor's plan was rather reckless. She wasn't sure why, but she had her suspicions.

"No, that's weird. You're talking like you're some sort of an alien." The Doctor looked at the older woman brow furrowed as he felt Joey's hand moving and loosened his grip, her lip quirked up at that. He thought she was rethinking killing her.

No.

She was just rethinking how to do it.

"Quite so." The lady announced with a smug smirk that Joey had to resist rolling her eyes at.

"No!" The Doctor cried, playing shocked well.

"Oh yes." The woman continued looking so proud of herself.

"You're joshing me." He told her, mock unbelieving.

"I am not." At that Joey took a deep breath, this woman…

"I'm talking to an alien? In a hospital? What, has the place got an ET department?" The Doctor continued shaking his head, for his part doing a very good job at being a clueless human.

"It's the perfect hiding place. Blood banks downstairs for a midnight feast, and all this equipment ready to arm myself with should the police come looking." She told him with a smirk, she was so proud of herself and her cleverness. It almost made Joey scoff. But she bit her tongue.

"So, those rhinos, they're looking for you?" the Doctor asked, gazing at her in wonderment.

"Yes. But I'm hidden." She announced turning back to the machine.

"Right. Maybe that's why they're increasing their scans." He nodded as if now understanding. The vampire lady snapped her attention to him.

"They're doing what?" She demanded coming over. The Doctor looked at her curiously.

"Big chief rhino boy, he said, no sign of a non-human, we must increase our scans up to setting two?" He ended in a question sounding unsure.

"Then I must assimilate again." She announced looking over them with a not-so-friendly-look.

"What does that mean?" The Doctor asked innocently, and Joey just gazed evenly at her, her hand going to her dagger and her hand closing around the handle. The Doctor's hand had lifted from hers, not wanting to be suspicious now that the alien was closer.

"I must appear to be human." She explained, drawing closer to them and Joey tensed gripping her dagger tighter.

"Well, you're welcome to come home with the wife and I. We'd be honoured. We can have cake." Joey nodded going along with what he said, but her eyes were locked on the woman.

"Why should I have cake? I've got my little straw." She pulled out a red bendy straw, and Joey tensed up.

"Oh, that's nice. Milkshake? I like banana." The Doctor quipped, but now his eyes were locked on the straw, and Joey had a sick feeling that his plan was to let her drink his blood.

That would most certainly kill him, alien or no he needed his blood.

"You're quite the funny man. And yet, I think, laughing on purpose at the darkness. I think it's time you found some peace. Steady him!" The slab shoved them both to their knees, and Joey let out a grunt, her hand falling from her dagger as pain rocketed through her head.

"$#%#." She growled under her breath, her eyes flickering up to the alien, didn't Martha call her Florence?

Whatever, she didn't really care.

She watched her approach and took hard breaths. Her wings fidgeted, brushing against her back, she felt the muscles tensing within them, and they jerked back suddenly, throwing the slab off balance, as it stumbled, she was loosened enough to shove the Doctor out of the way with her shoulder. She snarled up at the woman.

"You want blood? You take mine." she could feel the Doctor wanting to protest but she covered him with her wing.

The woman blinked at her not having expected this turn of events.

"Think of it this way, if you drink his blood, I can promise you that I will turn feral. But if you drink mine..." she shrugged, "I'll let you." She let out a breath, ''I've lived for a long time, and I'm always a sucker for a good villain plan." She smirked up at her and tilted her head revealing her neck.

The woman gazed at her curiously, and bemused, "you are just as odd as your husband." But then she smiled a mix of sweetness and maliciousness, "it's so sweet you defending him dear." She reached down and Joey resisted the urge to flinch away as the woman pinched her cheeks a little too tight. "So, because you two entertain me, I'll grant your request."

"No!" The Doctor suddenly called, having shoved her wing aside, much to her irritation, "no, take me instead." He said, almost looking panicked, but Joey wasn't having any of it. She sent him a glare, that was a mix between 'trust me #$% #,' and, 'if you try and stop her, I'll murder you in your sleep.'

But he clearly wasn't getting the message.

"Aw, the couple valiantly defending each other. It's quite sweet, but I'm running out of time." The alien smirked at them, and the Doctor opened his mouth but Joey wasn't going to have this back and forth, _she had a plan #%$#$. _

So, she slammed her wing directly to his face, he jerked back at the impact and the slab clutched his arm harder thinking he was trying to escape.

Joey really needed to stop moving her wings lest they quickly notice and wonder if she was human.

Huh, who knew she would be grateful that she wasn't?

Okay, scratch that, she wasn't really grateful for it when the stupid straw was thrust forcefully into her neck, she made a weird choking sound.

The sensation itself was something rather disturbing and made her stomach do backflips, but she stayed still, because #$# this better work.

**~A~**

Blaze watched as the judoon marked an x on her hand. "Confirm human. Traces of facial contact with non-human. Continue the search." The Judoon concluded sternly and handed her a booklet that was written in an obviously alien language. "You will need this." He told her blandly, and she held it before gazing up at the alien confused.

"What's that for?" She questioned, and the judoon blinked at her vacantly.

"Compensation." Was all he said before marching away.

Blaze turned to her, "do you think they've been given enough time?" He asked softly, and she turned to look at him again.

"More than likely." He nodded with a breath at that.

"Then let's make sure they get to her before anything bad happens." He said with a breath and she nodded before taking off after the judoon. Blaze paused and put a hand to his breath. It was getting harder to breathe.

He just needed to make sure Red didn't start fearing for their lives.

...that would be bad.

"Hey! Ju...Judoon! I know where the alien is!" Martha called causing Blaze to snap back to reality and follow after her.

**~A~**

The Doctor's head was spinning, he had a massive headache blooming in his forehead, he hadn't realized just how strong one of those black feathered limbs were. But really, he should've realized it, after all they were made to carry a full grown person.

Even if she looked like she weighed barely anything.

His head spun wildly, like a tilt-a-world-ride, and he could only just start to make out the scene before him through a thick and painful fog.

The Doctor could vaguely make out the sight of Joey on the ground with Florence hovering above her with a straw in her neck, he felt confusion and then what followed was a jolt of panic and fear.

How did this happen!? Just a second ago he was about to yell for her to stop, then everything went black as pain exploded in front of his head.

He jerked in the slab's grasp and lurched to try and get to her, no, this couldn't be happening! He couldn't be alone again! What was she thinking!? Didn't she understand!?

He was about to break out of the slab's grasp when he, ungracefully face planted onto the ground as the grasp of the leather made alien vanished. He groaned and pushed himself up, his head throbbed something painful, and the air was beginning to grow really scarce, even for him.

"Now see what you've done. This poor girl has just died of fright." That was the sound of Florence, he knew that, who died though? He lifted his tired eyes, only to feel pain shoot through his head. He winced but his eyes landed on the fallen form of Joey and he felt his hearts almost stop.

No...no….

"Scan her. Confirmation. Deceased." He recognized the stern and bland voice of the Judoon, but...he barely heard him over the sound of screams that began to fill his ears. He vaguely heard the sound of Martha and Blaze's voice, but perhaps it was the severe pain in his head or something else entirely.

But he sworn he heard a very loud and very present agonized scream run through his mind, one that sounded so broken, so shattered. It sent shivers right down his spine.

It wasn't his, it wasn't anyone here, no, it was someone else entirely.

Someone frighteningly familiar.

"Doctor!" Martha's voice cut through the screaming like a hot knife, he looked up and his world spun, he found himself staring at three different Marthas and he blinked up at her.

What was going on again?

"Doctor! Can you hear me? We need your help!" Martha cried, peering closer at him, he recoiled back some still a bit dazed.

He was upset...they needed his help, but why? What was happening?

"I...I don't hear either heartbeat..." Blaze's voice carried over the silence like a soft whisper. Somehow cutting through the screaming in his mind.

Martha disappeared from his sight and got up, he heard her voice but it was like it was coming through a thick fog, his eyes fell upon the fallen form of the only remaining member of his species and he felt that surge of panic lurch in him again. Why wasn't she breathing?

"Non-human." The voice of the judoon, cut through his thoughts, "and system failure." The addition caught his attention, which was easier as his thoughts cleared.

"But…what?" Florence demanded, obvious shock, "and what do you mean system fa-" she grunted and held her stomach, her eyes widening.

"Confirm analysis." The Judoon ordered, but Florence doubled over in pain holding her stomach, from the Doctor's clearing vision he could see her paling several shades, growing green with aliment.

"B...but it must be a mistake!" She cried after a cough, Martha and Blaze watched on confused, the Doctor even further confused, but his eyes kept flickering back to Joey, fear, regret and pain washing over him in such strong waves he found himself army crawling over.

Surely he would've felt _something _if she were actually dead...right?

"...she gave her life so they'd find you." Martha's soft whisper distracted him momentarily but his attention was quickly pulled back to the fallen girl before him. He checked for a pulse and felt his hearts almost stop when there was none.

No...no, this couldn't be happening.

"Confirm. Plasmavore, charged with the crime of murdering the child princess of Patrival Regency Nine." The judoon's calm but sharp voice wasn't enough to distract him now, before he knew what he was doing he was doing cpr gasping hard as he did compressions.

No...no, he couldn't be the last...not again, he couldn't… %#$ he couldn't let this stupid woman let herself die!

"Well!" The plasmavore shouted, spitting up blood and looking both crazed and had one foot in the grave. "She d...deserved it! Those pink cheeks, and those blonde curls, and that simpering voice! She was begging for the b-" she was cut off again lurching forward and dropping to her knees as she wretched up blood. "What has that #%$# done to me?!"

"...her blood was poisoned." Blaze murmured, causing all attention but the Doctor's turn on him, "it's...a common defense against vampires. She put a type of poison in her veins after making herself immune to it."

"And so you confess?" The Judoon inquired gazing at the clearly dying plasmavore.

"C...confess? I...I'm proud of it! S...slab! S...stop...stop them!" At her shrill scream, the slab under orders ran at the Judoon, but with a raise of their gun, and shot from it. The slab completely vanished from existence. Florence however took this opportunity to bolt for the protection screen, just as the Judoon sentenced her guilty and punishment execution.

The Doctor continued to do compressions, despite the pounding of his head and the swarming of his vision his body worked, and did he just imagine a slight gasp from Joey?

"E...enjoy your v...victory, J...judoon! B...because you're going to burn with me! Burn in ... #$$" she cried, if the Doctor had looked up he would've seen that the magnet had reached a critical overload.

But he was too distracted by the screaming in his head, and the movement of his body as he continued to desperately try and bring her back.

He couldn't...he couldn't be...he couldn't be the last..

The judoon raise their weapons only for Florence to stop at a dead freeze and her eyes to roll back into her head as she dropped dead on the ground.

"Case closed." The judoon called as he lowered his weapons, his three other comrades doing the same.

"But what did she mean, burn with me? The scanner shouldn't be doing that. She's done something." Martha told them, glancing nervously at the scanner,

"Scans detect lethal acceleration of monomagnetic pulse." The Judoon announced after scanning the device. Martha's eyes widened and Blaze joined the Doctor's side and then stopped the man motioning to the woman's rising and falling chest.

"Well, do something! Stop it!" Martha cried but the Judoon just looked at her impassive at their potential disaster.

"Our jurisdiction has ended. Judoon will evacuate." He blankly told her before leaving the room, the other three follow as did Martha, she stepped outside the door and looked after them distraught.

"What? You can't just leave it. What's it going to do?" But her question went unanswered, the Judoon left and she let out a hard breath and returned to the room. The Doctor didn't look very well, and looked light headed from the exertion, but mostly from the pain.

Martha looked at everything looking overwhelmed, "Doctor!" she rushed over and got before him, "Florence, she did something to the machine! I don't know what she did..." she trailed off and looked at him, her eyes widening slightly, "Doctor?" She asked, her voice softer.

"Let me see..." Blaze muttered softly and scooted a bit closer to the Doctor, Martha glanced at the young man and moved over as well.

"What are you going to do? Can you fix the machine?" She asked, glancing at the device normally. Below them Joey took breaths, albeit shallow, but breaths all the same.

"No...Red would be able to, but he is too concentrated on helping me survive." Blaze took a deep breath. He reached over Joey and lightly placed his hand on the Doctor's forehead, earning a wince from the dazed time-lord.

"W...what are you doing?" Martha asked her brow furrowing.

"Shh." Blaze ordered softly before closing his eyes and taking a deep breath.

Martha's eyes widened as the young man next to him lit up in a soft red glow, his brow furrowed in concentration. And slowly clarity began to return to the Doctor's eyes.

They widened and focused on the young man before him.

"Doctor!" Martha cried joyfully as Blaze groaned a bit holding his head and curling in on himself.

"Blaze...wha...are you alright?" The Doctor asked reaching out to check him.

"N...no! The machine!" Blaze grunted out as he held himself gasping hard. The Doctor's eyes flickered around and found the control panel, he got up and stumbled to it and started working on the controls as Martha checked over Blaze, but he flinched away from every touch, holding his head and scratching frantically. Martha was starting to see stars and Blaze leant down more on the ground clawing more at his chest. The Doctor muttered something but none of them could make it out as things began to go black.

**~A~**

_The music was soft, and around her ankles she felt the soft fabric of her dress brush against them. She may have argued that the soft brush of fabric on her bare skin is what caused the goose bumps, but no one would believe her. _

_Fabric didn't cause one to blush so furiously their ears burn. _

_She felt his hand on the small of her back, the other in her hand as she clasped it with her trembling one. She was trembling all over. Was it because of the people? The music? Maybe her shoes were on too tight. _

_She wasn't sure why she trembled, but she could feel the vibrations radiate through her body. Her hearts almost beat out of sync with each other, and she found she wouldn't dare to look him in the eye. _

_If she pretended this was practice, if she pretended that this was like any other day then she could make it through the night without fumbling over herself. _

_But if she looked up into those eyes, she knew all was lost. _

"_I don't think I've ever seen you so red..." His soft voice cut into her thoughts and she couldn't help but blush more, fiercer. _

"_I'm not normally this dressed up..." she murmured back, keeping her eyes on their feet. _

"_Are you sure it isn't because you're nervous?" He asked softly, and she blushed harder, and her hearts almost burst from her chest when he leaned down and whispered, "don't worry, I'm nervous too." At that she blinked and looked up at him, finally making eye contact, and...she didn't see the face of some stranger, and despite her fears, it wasn't one of regret of his choice. It was the same face, the same time-lord that have food fights with, and race in the fields with their friends like it was a day to be burned and wasted without a care of studies or what the impending war on the horizon meant for them and their lives. Those moments were nice, she treasured them at a rate more valued than gold. _

"_Do you regret it?" She suddenly blurted, and her eyes widened at the fact that she said it aloud, at that he looked confused, somewhat like a little puppy. Something she found terribly endearing. _

"_What? Regret this?" he looked around, "well maybe, the color is all wrong." But she pursed her lips and punched him lightly he chuckled and then turned back at her, he smiled and gazed down at her with a look that took her breath away. He smiled so softly, so kindly, and so lovingly, and it was at _her_. "No." His voice was soft spoken as always, but this time there was a certain amount of depth and earnest to it. "No, I will never regret asking you to be mine. I will never regret stepping past the boundaries of friendship. I will never regret asking you here and publicly announcing that you and I are destined to be soul-bound." There was so much conviction in her voice that it made her blush all over again. She looked to the side and let out a soft breath. _

"_...but...it's such a old tradition...I'm surprised you wanted to do it. Seeing how you feel about traditions." She trailed gazing to the side where some older time-lords were speaking in hushed tones, likely about the trouble brewing on Skaro. _

"_Sometimes..." his voice trailed, and she turned back at him, only to find him still gazing at her with a soft smile, he raised a hand and she watched it as it drew closer to her cheek, at the soft touch from his soft, more artistically based hands...at the touch she couldn't help but lean into it, her eyes flickering over his face. Studying it. _

_She still felt herself being guided over the dance floor, the swaying of their bodies to the melody of the music. But now, as it always was, she found herself lost in his soft and endearing eyes. _

"_Sometimes," he continued, "traditions are a good thing." He smiled softly at her, the soft smile that always made her hearts jump. "I would never...ever want you to feel the absence of my love for you." _

**~A~**

Joey's hearts nearly lurched out of her chest as she woke looking around wide eyed and gasping hard.

_What the #$ was _**_that?_**

And #...why did she feel like she just died ten times over on the inside.

**A**/N: **I figured I could try something a tad bit different then the original, I went over it a bunch of times in my head, and I just realized that Joey wouldn't really just let that happen. I hope everything and everyone was believable and I hope you guys liked the chapter. **

**Reviews**

**That is a VERY good question, thank you so much for asking! It was actually something I hadn't originally thought of, so bringing it up was very helpful! Thank you! And as for the answer, I hope it was somewhat answered in the chapter, the 'uniting' thing is a really old tradition, so it isn't very common anymore. So what Clockmaker did was pretty unusual. More so because of his family's position in power. While it was a very touching thing, to have your souls bound, it was also a troublesome one because people could just drop dead for no reason besides their spouse's death. So, the practice became...not outlawed, but discouraged. It wasn't taught as common knowledge to most. The Doctor could've done it, I mean, from at least my knowledge it never really said what kind of relationship they had. So even if he heard of it, he may not have wanted to do it, or visa versa, she may not have wanted to either. **

**But for the sake of this fic, he did not get soul bound to his wife. **

**Some of you may have already figured out what was happening and awesome! Great job! **

**Thank you so much for being a consistent reviewer, you don't know how much it lights up my day to see you're review and see that you are interested enough to ask questions, so thank you so much, you're questions mean so much to me, thank you for sticking with me, and I hope I can continue to produce content that you enjoy. **

**Thank you to the favorites, and follows, I appreciate all of you! **

**If you would like to see more of Blaze and Nightshade, you can find them on my fanfiction Insta, dovaflower, along with my main profile, Earthiana2. **

**Annnd if you are so very curious about Blaze's past, if it has piqued your curiosity enough to not let it be quenched, then I have the beginning of a webtoon I hope to make into a webtoon series that features Blaze's past, and as it goes, you may see references between this and the webtoon. Anyways, if you are interested, you can find it on webtoon, under the name; dragonrider0014, and it is titled, Colors of War.**

**Thank you so much and if you read through this whole thing then awesome you! **

**Stay safe! **

**-Earthian**


	13. The Shakespeare Code: Troubling Feelings

**A/N: Hello! Sorry for the super late update! I completely ran out of motivation to write anything, this is a shorter update, but I knew I needed to get something out so here it is! **

**There isn't much else to say, again, sorry about the late update and feel free to leave a review! Thank you to everyone who has been waiting!**

**DECLAIMER: I do not own Doctor who or anything associated with it. That belongs to only BBC.**

It hurt, it always hurt. But this time it was worse. His throat hurt from screaming and his limbs hurt from straining against his restraints. Something happened. Something happened and he wasn't there. He wasn't there to help her, his flower was in danger and he was stuck here. He struggled helplessly against his restraints, gritting his teeth. But like many times before this, it was useless. He struggled to no avail.

He caught a brief glimpse into her mind, and he had almost cried at what he saw. Nothing. She remembered nothing.

So he tried to remember. Tried to remember hard and press it against her mind. Against the barrier she didn't even know was there. He had managed to break through. Send her a memory he was sure would bring everything back.

But it didn't.

He'd seen the confusion, felt it even when she jerked awake. His flower still didn't remember...but she had to! She couldn't forget!

Because...if she didn't remember it...then did that mean he made it all up? That it was a product of his imagination?

That couldn't be true...right?

He...didn't know anymore.

**~A~**

The Doctor didn't like to admit it, but he was old. He sometimes felt it in his bones, or even in his hearts. The time-lord had seen many things in his lifetime, many, many horrible things. Things that should've collapsed his will a long time ago, yet either by some miracle, or his extremely stubborn nature, it hadn't.

He had seen many horrible things, from the horrors of war, to the most wicked beings.

As the Doctor, he had vowed long ago to always help those in need, never to be cruel and to always be kind. It was something he did his best to live by on a day by day basis. He knew his own darkness, and he had been face to face with it many times. The Doctor knew the depths of depravity his own soul held.

All of his past, all of his past lives, he knew they in some way contributed and shaped him into the man he was now. He had made the very bold statement at the beginning of his individual sub life. No second chances.

He did not like harming people, he did not like killing. But in the end it was often inevitable. Unavoidable. Even if he tried his very best to find different ways out.

With the Racnoss queen...he couldn't help but often ponder back to that moment. He had been fully prepared to burn her and her children. Nightshade...Joey, had stepped in.

Try as he might, he was continually struggling to put his finger on her.

And...what he found in her head, only made things so much more confusing.

She was...similar to how she had been in a previous regeneration, but only in a very few ways. The rather abrupt way of speaking, and the frequency of her opinion. She was the time-lady that one of his best friends had fallen so hopelessly for.

He only just barely recognized her now.

The sound of someone cursing brought him from his thoughts, he looked up only to find the woman in question standing by the console injecting something he didn't recognize into her arm. He frowned a bit and got up to go over, only for Martha to enter the console room. He looked up at her and soon found Blaze quietly trailing after. The young man looked much worse than he did a few hours earlier.

He had decided to give everyone some time to catch their breath, both metaphorically and literally. The Tardis had been set a bit adrift in the vortex while everyone rested up.

But he had promised to take Martha on another adventure in thanks for all she had done in the Judoon event.

"Well! Is everyone rested up?" he asked with a clap of his hands, both to show enthusiasm and to gain their attention. He got non-committal responses from Nightshade and Blaze. Martha however came over eagerly.

"Definitely." He nodded and started working walking around the console, she followed after him. "So where are we going?" She asked eagerly, he hummed non-committal and kept going around.

Suddenly everyone let out varied startled cries as the Tardis bucked and tossed them to the side, Blaze ended up falling and hitting his head, Joey only just managed to stay on her feet by grabbing the railing. Martha and the Doctor grabbed onto the console for dear life. Martha spotted Blaze and went over to him wobbling at the instability of the craft.

"Blaze!" She called and went over crouching down next to him, the Doctor hurried to get the ship in order and Joey stumbled over to the console.

"What can I do?" She asked, he looked up at her before pointing at the handle that wobbled.

"Keep that in place!" He ordered, and she nodded going over to it and grabbing the handle setting her position to keep it from shaking. It helped with the stabilization a bit, but not much.

Martha was shining a pocket flashlight in Blaze's eyes when he groaned and forced them shut. He tried to sit up but she kept him down.

"Don't move. You need to stay still. You hit the back of your head." she ordered and he gazed up at his red eyes softly glowing and his brow furrowed deeply.

"Why? I don't feel anything..." he slurred a bit. Martha let out a breath and glanced at the blood on the grating below him. She took a breath and turned back to him.

"Hey, can you tell me what your name is?" She asked gently, before grabbing onto the railing to keep herself stable from the shaking ship.

Joey held onto the shaking handle and looked up at the Doctor as he fiddled with different parts of the console, "so does the Tardis locate and find wormholes and while traveling through it shifts time?" She asked, voice elevated to speak over the chaos. The Doctor froze and looked at her.

"What? How-"

"Doctor! Nightshade! Blaze is bleeding!" Martha called over to them as the Tardis came to a halt, both time-lords looked over before venturing over to them.

The Doctor crouched down on his other side as Joey remained standing, "you alright there kiddo?" His eyes flickered briefly to the blood.

Blaze couldn't help but crack a bit of a smile, "It's weird...to be around someone older than me..." he let out a breath closing his eyes, "I miss being called kid...things were...simpler..."

"No, hey stay awake." Martha ordered snapping her fingers in front of his face, he opened his eyes and glanced at her.

"No...no it's okay, don't worry ma'am. Red says it's not fatal, sorry I'm sleepy. I didn't get much sleep last night." He tried to sit up only for Martha to stop him again.

"He'll be fine. The wound has already healed." Joey told them with a cross of her arms.

Martha looked up at her brow furrowing, "no, he just got the wound." The human explained, but Blaze sat up and took her hand despite her obvious reluctance with him doing so.

"Really, I'm okay." He leaned forward and to the side turning his head and pulling up his hair so they could see the slightly reddened but healing skin, while around it was fairly fresh blood.

Martha's eyes widened and she gazed at it unbelieving, "but wait...how..." she stammered and the Doctor let out a chuckle.

"Nice healing, I take it that was Red?" He asked and Blaze turned to him nodding.

"Yes, normally he lets me heal normally but he says that it would be unproductive to let that happen." He pushed himself to his feet and the others soon followed.

"Wait...I don't understand who is Red?" Martha asked, still dumbfounded. Blaze turned to her and let out a breath looking tired.

"I'll have to tell you another time, after all, this is your adventure right?" He nodded to the doors, "we should probably go see what the Doctor has in store."

Martha glanced at the double doors and back at Blaze before taking a breath and pointing at him. "Okay, fine. But after I want to make sure you are actually alright." At that Blaze nodded and smiled softly.

"Really, I don't feel any pain from it...but thank you for your concern." He offered, and she gave him a once over before nodding and grabbing her jacket and putting it on.

"So, what is outside Doctor?" she asked as she and the time-lords walked to the doors. Blaze waited a moment before reaching up to his chest resting three fingers on his red sweater above his heart and pulled it away gazing at the red blood on his fingers.

_That was stupid, you know energy has to continually go to your heart._

He let out a breath at the thoughts that filtered through his mind, "I know." The man whispered gazing at the backs of the human and time-lords, "I just...don't want to be a concern for them. Especially with what is coming."

_You can't save them from that, you know what happened last time you interfered with time._

He winced at the reminder, grabbing at the spot over his heart, he swallowed trying to push away the image of..._her._

"Yes...I remember it…every second."

**~A~**

"Blimey that was rough. Do you have to pass a test to fly that thing?" The human in their company questioned as they got to the doors.

"Yes, and I failed it. Now, make the most of it. I promised you one trip, and one trip only. Outside this door, brave new world." The Doctor answered a bit tersely, he opened the door and Martha turned to him.

"Where are we?" She asked and he offered a bit of a smirk and motioned to the opened door.

"Take a look. After you." He said, very gentleman like. She raised an eyebrow before stepping out, he followed and Joey waited, glancing back at Blaze who came over, offering a soft and gentle smile and continuing on. She did not smile back and gazed at his back critically.

There was definitely something off about him.

As the Doctor and Martha took the lead and walked into the much older streets of London the human couldn't help but take in their surroundings. Clothes hung on lines that were attached to the buildings, often hanging between though occasionally they stretched across the main road on which they walked. The lines hung below the eaves of the rooves. Many of the residents were hanging up their clothes but there were also many of them that resembled urchins that ran around.

"Oh, you are kidding me. You are so kidding me. Oh, my..., we did it. We travelled in time. Where are we? No, sorry. I got to get used to this whole new language. When are we?" She looked around excitedly the Doctor however glanced up.

"Mind out." He then grabbed her arm and pulled her to the side to avoid getting dumped on by the disgusting contents of the bucket that the man was dumping out above them. Joey glanced up looking irritated and Blaze glanced around taking note of all the people in rags with a soft breath as he glanced down.

"Gardez l'eau!" The man with the bucket called above them before ducking back inside his house.

"Somewhere before the invention of the toilet. Sorry about that." The Doctor remarked adjusting his tie, Martha shrugged it off.

"I've seen worse. I've worked the late night shift A+E. But are we safe? I mean, can we move around and stuff?" She asked, looking around nervously.

The three others in the group glanced at her curiously, "Of course we can. Why do you ask?" the Doctor asked, his brow furrowed.

"It's like in the films. You step on a butterfly, you change the future of the human race." She explained, looking at the Doctor.

"Time doesn't work like that." Blaze muttered as he gazed around, eyes softly glowing. They glanced at him before the Doctor turned back to Martha.

"Right well, tell you what then, don't step on any butterflies. What have butterflies ever done to you?" He asked with a bit of a grin.

"What if, I don't know, what if I kill my grandfather?" She asked glancing around nervously at all the potential things that could go wrong.

"Are you planning to?" The Doctor asked with an eyebrow raise as they made their way down the street.

"No." She said simply looking back at him, he nodded and put his hands in his pockets.

"Well, then." He looked around as well, Joey was the furthest behind glancing at everyone warily with her wings pinched against her back. She just...couldn't shake the feeling that they weren't alone. The eerie thing was, she had the same feeling when they were in the Tardis.

It felt like someone was constantly watching them.

"And this is London?" Martha asked, glancing around curiously.

"I think so. Round about 1599." He guessed after evaluating where they were.

"Oh, but hold on. Am I all right? I'm not going to get carted off as a slave, am I?" She asked, stopping and looking up at him.

He followed suit and frowned down at her, "why would they do that?"

"Not exactly white, in case you haven't noticed." She muttered motioning to herself, but he just shrugged.

"Joe and I are not even human. Just walk about like you own the place. Works for me." He explained but then turned back to Joey and Blaze, first he nodded to Joey. "Though, I'd keep that perception filter on if I were you." At that she let out a breath fiddling with the loose hanging necklace.

"I wasn't planning on taking it off."

"Wait...perception filter?" Martha asked looking back at the darkly clothed woman.

"It's a device that distracts you from something that someone doesn't want you to see." The Doctor explains, "it doesn't erase it, but it does confuse you." But that only made the human's brow furrowed.

"What? But why would she need one of those?"

"Because she has wings." Blaze interjected, but was looking at the large dome-like building in the distance.

"Wait...what?" The human glanced back at Joey who crossed her arms and let out a breath.

"We can discuss it later." She raised an eyebrow and smirked a bit. "Preferably when you are gone." Martha's eyes widened before narrowing. The Doctor quickly turned her around to stop a potential argument.

"Anyways...you'd be surprised. Elizabethan England, not so different from your time. Look over there. They've got recycling." He motioned to a man shoving horse manure into a bucket. "Water cooler moment," he continued turning toward the two men conversing over a water barrel.

"And the world will be consumed by flame." A man proclaimed drawing their attention. Blaze went a bit rigid looking over at him as he continued to preach.

"Global warming. Oh, yes, and entertainment. Popular entertainment for the masses. If I'm right, we're just down the river by Southwark, right next to..." he trailed off and took off into a jog forcing the others to do the same as they went along the south end of a bridge past a church before finally reaching a view of the same building Blaze had been gazing at earlier.

"Oh, yes, the Globe Theatre! Brand new. Just opened. Through, strictly speaking, it's not a globe, it's a tetradecagon. Fourteen sides. Containing the man himself." He finished with a smirk, causing his companions to look at him expectantly. Though for Martha it was more so shock.

"Whoa, you don't mean. Is Shakespeare in there?" She asked wide eyed.

"Oh, yes. Miss Jones, will you accompany me to the theatre?" He held out an arm with a smirk, she smiled up at him and took his arm.

"Mister Smith, I will." They started heading toward the building.

Blaze and Joey stood a bit awkwardly before he turned to her, and held out the arm with a smile. "Would you like to join me, miss Shade?"

Joey turned to him surprised and glanced down at his arm; she didn't say anything for a moment before her eyes returned to their normal darkened look. "No."

With that she followed after the Doctor and Martha her arms still crossed.

Blaze let his arm drop and he let out a breath putting his hands in his pockets, "yeah. I knew it was a long shot." he rubbed the back of his neck, "you're heart doesn't remember who it belongs to...does it Specialist?"

**~A~**

The performance had just ended, the audience within the theatre was packed and now applauded the actors. The small group of four was in the middle of a crowd of ordinary people within a pit, and Joey looked like she was about to murder everyone there. Luckily people were in too much jubilance to notice the brush of her wings against them.

"That's amazing! Just amazing. It's worth putting up with the smell. And those are men dressed as women, yeah?" Martha asked glancing over the badly disguised men.

"London never changes." The Doctor muttered with a shake of his head.

"Where's Shakespeare? I want to see Shakespeare. Author! Author! Do people shout that? Do they shout author?" she inquired, turning to the Doctor.

"Author! Author!" A man called from behind them, attracting their attention, this only caused a chant to happen, the entire theatre calling out author.

"Well, they do now." The Doctor admitted with a smile down at his companion, she grinned back. Their attention was pulled to the stage as a bearded man, clearly Shakespeare came onto the stage, very full of himself.

"He's a bit different from his portraits." Martha remarked with a curious look, the Doctor almost looked to be in awe.

"Genius. He's a genius. The genius. The most human human there's ever been. Now we're going to hear him speak. Always he chooses the best words. New, beautiful, brilliant words." At that praise Joey looked over with an eyebrow raise and then back to the stage at the man in question.

"Ah, shut your big fat mouths!" He called over the noise the crowd was making, but this only caused them to laugh. Joey shook her head and let out a breath.

"Yes, such beautiful and ravishing words...I'm awestruck." The Doctor sent her a look, and she smirked at him.

"Oh, well." The Doctor muttered, turning back to the stage.

"You should never meet your heroes." Martha finished before shaking her head.

"You've got excellent taste, I'll give you that. Oh, that's a wig." The poet remarks lastly pointing at one of the people in the crowd. "I know what you're all saying. Loves Labour's Lost, that's a funny ending, isn't it? It just stops. Will the boys get the girls? Well, don't get your hose in a tangle, you'll find out soon. Yeah, yeah. All in good time. You don't rush a genius." Shakespeare explained as he continued to walk across the stage. Only for him to suddenly freeze his back going straight and his face going blank. This raised the hackles of all four of the group below the stage. "When? Tomorrow night. The premiere of my brand new play. A sequel, no less, and I call it Loves Labour's Won." He suddenly answered a question that no one asked.

Leaving the small group with many...many questions.

**~A~**

As they filed out of the theatre, both the Doctor and Martha looked troubled, but Joey and Blaze, having not the faintest idea of what plays he did, and did not write, well. They didn't particularly care.

"I'm not an expert, but I've never heard of Loves Labour's Won." Martha muttered before looking at the Doctor.

"Exactly. The lost play. It doesn't exist, only in rumours. It's mentioned in lists of his plays but never ever turns up. And no one knows why." The Doctor explained with a breath.

"Have you got a mini-disc or something? We can tape it. We can flog it. Sell it when we get home and make a mint." Martha offered and looked up at him, but he just shook his head.

"No."

"That would be bad." Martha reasoned, and the Doctor nodded.

"Yeah, yeah."

Blaze looked over at them, brow furrowed, "so...how come it disappeared?"

"Well, I was just going to give Martha a quick little trip in the Tardis, but I suppose we could stay a bit longer." The Doctor explained with a grin at them.

**A/N: Thank you for reading! I hope you guys like it, feel free to drop a review and remember to stay safe!**


	14. Announcement and Prologue

**Hello everyone! Greetings to the new comers, and welcome back to those who have read my stories before! This is a preview of the redo/rewrite of this doctor who fanfiction. While I did enjoy this one, it no longer fit with how things have developed in my head, and while trying to reread it to catch myself up...well, it was difficult to do so. I've been working on another fanfiction for another fandom for a bit, and I think my writing, in the fanfiction realm, has improved. However even when trying to rewrite this version, it just...didn't feel right. If you are from this one, I want to apologize for the lateness and this announcement, and thank you for your patience, and characters that you saw in that one will be in here as well, along with one or two new ones as well. **

**And just to mention here, in my writing I censor cuss words, it's just how I chose to write. I'm sorry if that is distracting for anyone, but that's just the way I prefer to write. **

**Thank you for understanding. **

**(Also I hope to get a cover image out for the new one, I just have to draw it!)**

**It is called The Sister Planets if you would like to check it out.**

**Thank you to everyone who will read this, I appreciate all support and will respond to all your reviews, thank you! **

**I own nothing but my characters and my ideas. **

* * *

_Prologue _

Alex was being a pain, but this was nothing unusual. The only difference was that she was very far from being in the mood right now.

"I know you're big but you need to get off the controls!" She barked trying in vain to pull him off the control console.

A whine came from the speakers on either side of his head. The singular lens looked at her pleadingly as he arched his long and thin body, his claws digging into the console controls making everything spark.

"No! No, don't do that!" She protested grabbing a hold of a section of his thick cord of a body and pulling. He whined more and dug his claws in. Warning lights flashed and she cursed profusely, finally with one more yank he released and collapsed...on top of her.

"^%^$^#%!" She cursed before pushing him off, her gauntlets slipping. "We need to get back online! Engage Alpha mode!" The shout made Alex freeze and his lens turn red from it's previous blue color. With coordination he didn't have before, the large and long robot leaped to his feet and climbed into one of the seats of the command room. With a puff of air, she scrambled up and went to the controls. It was a mess of sparks and chaos. Cursing heavily she started trying to put things back together. Only for a glitchy holographic image to appear before her. She scrambled back and stumbled into a salute, her wings folding up behind her in a hurry.

"S...sir!" She still puffed for air, his weight having knocked it out of her.

"_Specialist, where are you?! We are dropping like flies down here! We need everyone on the field!_" He barked, his wings flaring back out in return. She went to the console and went over to the window watching as the world burned under her.

"W...what...where are the Time-Lords!?" she demanded, turning back to the holographic man, who had turned and flung out a wing at an unknown enemy. Before shooting another.

"_They are busy! Gallifrey is under siege, we can't rely on their assistance!_" He responded before shooting yet another unseen enemy.

"^$^%$&^!" She swore and went to the controls, "I'll be there as soon as possible, Alex busted my console." She looked at the door that led to the chaos outside. "Maybe if I jump..." she trailed.

"_No! There are shots everywhere, you wouldn't make it onto the planet. You have to get into the escape pod._" At that her attention snapped to him and she swallowed wetting her lips.

"Uh...escape pods?"

At her question he whipped to face her, pulling up his visor briefly, "_Specialist...tell me you didn't use your escape pods._" He warned, and she shifted.

"Okay. I won't."

"_^^%^$%$!_" He swore making her flinch slightly, she ran to the controls next to Alex.

"I know! I know! But don't worry, I can get down there! I just need a few moments! I swear!" She assured, Alex hopped down from the chair and stood in the aisle down the center of the command room. As she flicked switches and pressed buttons, she couldn't help but let out a slight laugh of a breath. "Never thought I'd actually have to go into combat ya know? But war needs effort from everyone! Isn't that right sir?" There was no response for a moment and she turned to look and see if he was occupied, but there was no holographic image.

Just static.

Her brow furrowed and she went over to the console trying to bring the image back, only for the station to rock, shake violently and heat up intensely. Alex rushed over to her and grabbed her, wrapping his body around her, his six legs encaging her, and from that a blue field appeared around him and her. The field blocked all debris that fell around them. Creating a pocket within the fallen metal pieces and roof of the station. All of the air was removed instantly, and the only thing protecting her was the blue field.

The Specialist's eyes were wide as she stared up at the pile of debris on top of her, and according to what she could hear, there was at least four feet of metal and rock above them.

Her fingers were digging into the groves of his cord body as she curled close to his body praying the field wouldn't break.

She tried to steady her breathing, she really did, but all four of her lungs were inflating and deflating so fast she feared she would run out of air.

Which of course didn't help her breathing at all.

"A...Alex...don't move..." she whispered under her breath. The bot stilled completely, not that he had been moving before this.

She needed to get out of this situation, she knew that, her wings were already complaining as his metal leg pressed painfully against the sensitive limb. Luckily he was still in Alpha mode, otherwise the bot would also be panicking and that would help no one.

"P...problem...problem solve...y...you need to p...problem solve. Y...you've trained for these kinds of situations..." She took a small breath, "first problem is the air. You have no air outside of this bubble." Her eyes flickered along Alex's long body that was pressed against hers. "Okay...so...so stay in the bubble." She nodded to herself and looked up at the red lens that gazed down at her. "Where is your tail?"

A clinking sound on the metal above her made her let out a breath and smiled, "wonderful, great job at thinking ahead bud." The lens in his eye spun and a pleased whirl came from his speakers. "Okay, use program 55 to turn your spikes into pinchers, then use those to start lifting the metal pieces. Remember, the sensors on your tail are as good as your claws. Focus on the tail ones instead. I'm going to regulate my breathing in order to conserve oxygen. Don't disturb me unless something is wrong." She advised, there was a whirl of agreement from him before his lens dimmed a bit. She took a small breath and closed her eyes focusing.

It took a few moments for her conscious mind to fade into background noise, and she was allowed to step into the unconscious realm. It wasn't full sleep, but with her duplicated heart and lungs, she settled into an in-between state.

This is where dreams and memories lie, hidden under the conscious mind, she often went here when needing to recall something important.

* * *

Slowly she sat up and looked around at the colorful world around her, different from the dark and desaturated world that had surrounded her the past fifty years. With a soft breath she got to her feet and dug her toes into the grassy ground below her.

A breeze made all the grass shift, and went between all the feathers on her wings. Lifting her hair slightly before letting it fall once more.

If she were in a place like this in real life now, she would hate it, but the smells, the feel of the grass, and the soft breeze reminded her of a peaceful time.

A time before the war happened.

With a breath she turned to look for the off world transport ship, she knew this particular memory by heart, and she knew just who was going to be making an appearance.

Her wings ruffled in enthusiasm as she saw the one she had memorized by heart pull up.

She looked around before spotting it. The pack she had made a few days earlier sat on the ground and she reached down scooping it up in her arms. She had a small window to sneak in before they were whisked away and taken on the tour. And this may be one of the last few times she saw them. With a breath she beat her wings lifting into the air, only to suddenly feel an intense lack of air.

With a cough she dropped to the ground and clutched at her chest, the pack dropped from her arms and dissolved into smoke. Everything, everything around her dissolved into smoke and flames. People, Daleks, children, soldiers, they all appeared around her...burning.

Eyes widening she slowly got up to her feet, and looked down at herself, only to find herself in Time-Lord armor, a gun in hand. She examined herself before spotting the nametag on her chest...her flat chest.

The name was smudged with blood, dirt and soot, but even with a few letters she could see which name it was.

Clockwork.

Her eyes widened, "C...clock…?" She stammered before looking around her again, her hands lifted of their own accord, and started shooting at any stray Daleks that came into her sight.

Soon, she was removed from the body that wasn't hers, only to bare witness to a familiar face. Covered in dirt, grime and injuries. But there was no mistaking the icy blue eyes.

She swallowed, feeling her blood run cold, no...no she didn't want to see this! The scene had played numerous times over, and over again in different scenarios. All ending the same way.

Death, with no regeneration.

Even not being in the scene herself, she felt her wings stiffen, she whipped around and stared at the sight of a decaying Dalek powering up again behind him.

"^&%$%^!" she cursed before turning to him. "Clock! Clock! He's behind you!" She ran over and tried to push him. Only to run into something metal and filled with groves. Her brow furrowed in confusion as she felt it up. The scene around her vanished into smoke, and the smoke soon began to clear, pulling her back to the moment at hand.

Alex was whining softly gazing down at her with an enlarged lens. She took a breath, tucking her hands under her armpits and biting her lip taking deep and steady breaths.

"I'm fine. I'm fine. Gotta focus." she took a controlled breath and looked up at him, "how are we doing?"

He let out a soft whirring noise and looked up himself, she followed his gaze and bore witness to...blackness above them.

Her brow furrowed slightly and she nudged him to get them out, he compiled, freeing his back two legs to maneuver them out while still holding her with his four legs.

Soon he was standing atop the pile that had surrounded them. Three of his legs now held her while the other three were holding him up.

In a few moves, he moved from the station and onto the moon that it was attached to.

The lack of gravity allowed for him to drop slower and use his tail to touch the ground first.

As they drifted to the surface, she dared to look at the planet that was previously below them…

Only to feel her blood run absolutely cold in her body.

"A...Al...Alex..." she stammered, he let out a whirring noise before following her gaze and staring.

There was nothing there. Not a stone or pebble. The stars near them were gone and a chunk of the sun was missing, causing it to bleed out and burning gas bubbles everywhere.

She wasn't even sure how that was _possible_.

"It's...it's...gone…?" She whispered, staring at the lack of two planets before them.

Sister planets, Galifrey and Omniley.

Both of them were gone.

All that remained was the remaining chunk of the moon she was on. With a quick glance below telling her, that like the sun, it's like someone took a bite out of it.

But...that didn't matter, the planets, they were gone. It had to be a mistake right? Maybe...maybe the reason her commanding officer wanted her back on the planet was because they were enacting an emergency get away!

"Y…yeah...yeah maybe...maybe they are hiding! I just...missed it! I just...I just...gotta wait till they get back!" She tried clinging more to Alex, he turned back to her and let out a soft whirl before they landed on the rock below them.

She looked up at him and then at the planet before them.

"They...they are just hiding...I know they are..." She whispered softer, but even as the words exited her mouth. She knew they weren't true.

She didn't feel anyone.

There was no one left.

She let out a strangled noise and put a hand to her mouth biting her lip hard, hard enough to draw blood.

The Specialist grabbed ahold of Alex's thick cord body and clung to it for dear life as she refrained from crying so as not to waste oxygen. It ended up being many choking and strangled noises, she pressed her forehead firmly against his body and did her best to keep herself contained.

That was probably the moment that her life changed the most, and obviously with good reason.

If only she had known at the time how much the moment would change _her._

**_To be continued in..._**

**_The Sister Planets_**

* * *

**I hope you guys like it! **

**What did you think of the prologue? Of Alex or the Specialist? **

**I'd love to hear what you think in the new story!**


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